What is Distribution File Server system?
According to Microsoft’s DFS article:
DFS Namespaces is a role service in Windows Server that enables you to group shared folders located on different servers into one or more logically structured namespaces. This makes it possible to give users a virtual view of shared folders, where a single path leads to files located on multiple servers, as shown in the following figure:
What is the benefit of having DFS in your office or work environment?
DFS nowadays is a very critical component in work environment of teams where everyone collaborate or work at the the same time on the same file.
DFS provide high availability for shared folders/files and users can access file servers regardless of their IP or location as long as they are part of the DFS topology.
Installation:
We will start installing DFS on a lab where there’s only 2 servers existed, we’ll setup replication group between them. this is rather a very simple and quick setup.
NameSpace Configuration
Sharing Namespace: HASIMIFS
The file server can be reached through the network from any client that’s in the domain using the following Namespace. (Domain users are set to read only but admins are set to read and write)
—–
Replication Configuration for FS
Adding DFS members to the Replication group
Replication group schedule and Bandwidth
Configure replication to full during out of work hours
And 64mbps during work hours
Primary Member Selection
You should be able to select primary member which will be considered initially as the source of data.
Replication algorithm in DFS work by the logic of “Last who writes win” so if you’re the latest who writes to a file in the shared namespace then your data is going to be replicated among all other replica servers.
Adding folders for replication
Permissions : Existing Permissions
Local path of the DFS ROOT on the other member
I created a new folder on the second member of the replication group called “DFSROOTReplica” so I can distinguish that it’s a replica version of the original member .
Review setting before finalizing setup
