Starting:

This article will guide you through the steps for Migrating your DFS mode from 2000 to 2008, in the same time we’ll migrate DFS Namespace servers from 2008 to 2016 but keep the folder targets and replication groups intact without any change

This is a Microsoft summary about the process including my lab migration config step by step, I hope you find this useful and share it with others.

 

The Windows Server 2008 mode for domain-based namespaces includes support for access-based enumeration and increased scalability.

To migrate a domain-based namespace from Windows 2000 Server mode to Windows Server 2008 mode, you must export the namespace to a file, delete the namespace, recreate it in Windows Server 2008 mode, and then import the namespace settings. To do so, use the following procedure.

NOTE:

After raising domain and forest functional level to 2008, you need to restart DFS services on the FSMO DC

To migrate a domain-based namespace to Windows Server 2008 mode

Open a Command Prompt window and type the following command to export the namespace to a file, where \\ domain \ namespace is the name of the appropriate domain and namespace and path\filename is the path and file name of the export file:

On the source DC/DFS Server

Dfsutil root export \\domain\namespace C:\filename.xml

Write down the path (\\ server \ share ) for each namespace server. You must manually add namespace servers to the recreated namespace because Dfsutil cannot import namespace servers.

In DFS Management, right-click the namespace and then click Delete , or type the following command at a command prompt, where \\ domain \ namespace is the name of the appropriate domain and namespace:

Dfsutil root remove \\domain\namespace

Let’s go refresh the console and see if it’s deleted there

Next remove

I will remove the rest of the name spaces

All have been removed, Now lets remove the name spaces from the display and observe what happens to the replication groups

NOTE:

Replication groups didn’t get affected

In DFS Management, recreate the namespace with the same name, but use the Windows Server 2008 mode, or type the following command at a command prompt, where \\ server \ namespace is the name of the appropriate server and share for the namespace root:
Dfsutil root adddom \\server\namespace v2

I will use the UI instead of the command

Although we raised the forest and domain function forest but still the 2008 is still greyed out. Lets try to restart the DFS services on the FSMO server

After restarting the services on FSMO server we are able to see the “Enable Windows Server 2008 Mode”

Next, I will copy all the xml files to the new server and import them there

My new server is 2016

To import the namespace from the export file, type the following command at a command prompt, where \\ domain \ namespace is the name of the appropriate domain and namespace and path\filename is the path and file name of the file to import:

Dfsutil root import merge path\filename.xml \\domain\namespace

After the Import

I will continue to import the rest of the namespaces

First we need to create them with their matching namespaces from the GUI

Now I will import and merge the xml file

After adding the NEW folder which has replicating group existing already from the previous mode. First it didn’t show up

but after navigating to the NewFolder and clicking on Replication tab then Navigate to the replication group showed the replication group underneath the Replication

What has changed?

The only noticeable thing which has changed is the NameSpace Servers, everything else like ( Folder targets still the same, replication is identical to previous settings)

See this screenshot

Let’s check the access to the new namespace

Finally, Let’s import the latest namespace and its configuration (PublicFolder)

Let’s check the result on GUI

Notice the replication group for the PF didn’t come, so let’s do as we have explained before to show the replication group

Here we go

Right after this process finishes, the command creates some kind of a report with time, importing status and other related settings such as site cost, timeout.. Etc

Note

To minimize the time that is required to import a large namespace, run the Dfsutil root import command locally on a namespace server.

Add any remaining namespace servers to the recreated namespace by right-clicking the namespace in DFS Management and then clicking Add Namespace Server , or by typing the following command at a command prompt, where \\ server \ share is the name of the appropriate server and share for the namespace root:

Dfsutil target add \\server\share

Note

You can add namespace servers before importing the namespace, but doing so causes the namespace servers to incrementally download the metadata for the namespace instead of immediately downloading the entire namespace after being added as a namespace server.

From <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2008-R2-and-2008/cc753875(v=ws.11)>

If you have any other issues or struggling, check out this link it might be of use

http://landie.tech/migrate-dfs-namespaces-from-2000-to-2008-mode/