Module 9: Using Dfs to Share File Resources

Types of Dfs Roots Stand-Alone Dfs Root Stand-Alone Stand-Alone Dfs Dfs Root Root ?Stores the Dfs Topology on a SingleComputer ?Provides No Fault Tolerance if theComputer Fails ?Allows

Contents

Setting Up a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root 7

Configuring Child Nodes for a

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Introduction

This module provides students with the knowledge and skills to share file resources in a network by installing, configuring, and managing the Distributed file system (Dfs)

In the hands -on lab in this module, students will have a chance to use Dfs to share network resources

Materials and Preparation

This section provides you with the materials and preparation needed to teach this module

Materials

To teach this module, you need the following materials:

?? Microsoft® PowerPoint® file 1558A_09.ppt

Preparation

To prepare for this module, you should:

?? Read all the materials for this module

?? Complete the lab

?? Study the review questions and prepare alternative answers to discuss

?? Anticipate questions that students may ask Write out the questions and provide the answers

?? Read the white paper, Distributed File System: A Logical View of Physical Storage, on the Student Materials compact disc

?? Read the walkthrough, Distributed File System (Dfs), on the Student

Materials compact disc

Presentation:

45 Minutes

Lab:

45 Minutes

?? Setting Up a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

In this topic, you will introduce setting up a Dfs root Demonstrate how to create a fault-tolerant Dfs root Emphasize that because changes to a fault-tolerant Dfs tree are stored in Active Directory™ directory service, you can always restore a Dfs tree topology if the server hosting the Dfs root goes offline for any reason Illustrate how to create additional replicas for a fault-tolerant Dfs root

?? Configuring Child Nodes for a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

In this topic, you will introduce configuring child nodes for a fault-tolerant Dfs root Demonstrate how to set up Dfs child nodes Explain why a Dfs client caches the referral to the child node Illustrate how to create multiple replicas of child nodes Emphasize that configuring multiple replicas of a child node creates fault tolerance and load balancing Describe how to configure replication among child nodes

?? Guidelines for Configuring Dfs for a Multisite Environment

In this topic, you will describe how to configure Dfs for a multisite environment Emphasize the reason for each guideline

?? Administering Dfs

In this topic, you will introduce administering Dfs Demonstrate how to check the status of replicas Show students the green check marks and red cross marks that appear after status check Tell them what these marks mean Illustrate how to change the status of a replica Demonstrate how to change the referral interval for a Dfs root and child node

?? Lab A: Implementing Dfs Prepare students for the lab in which they will use Dfs to share network resources Make sure that students run the command file for the lab, and tell them that they will work with their partner’s computers After students have completed the lab, ask them if they have any questions

?? Best Practices Present best practices for implementing Dfs Emphasize the reason for each best practice

Customization Information

This section identifies the lab setup requirements for a module and the configuration changes that occur on student computers during the labs This information is provided to assist you in replicating or customizing Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) courseware

The labs in this module are also dependent on the classroom configuration that is specified in the Customization Information section at the

end of the Classroom Setup Guide for course 1558A, Advanced Administration for Microsoft Windows 2000

Performing the lab in this module creates a Dfs root with child nodes

You can run C:\MOC\Win1558A\Labfiles\Lab09\Setup\Lab09Rm.cmd to remove most configuration changes introduced during the labs in the module Remove the Dfs root manually

Important

Important

Overview

?Introduction to Dfs

?Setting Up a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

?Configuring Child Nodes for a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

?Guidelines for Configuring Dfs for a Multisite Environment

?Administering Dfs

?Best Practices

With more and more files being distributed across local area networks (LANs), administrators face growing problems as they try to provide users with the access that they need Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Distributed file system (Dfs) provides a mechanism for administrators to create logical views of directories and files, regardless of where those files are physically located on the network Fault-tolerant network storage resources are also available by using Dfs Dfs fault-tolerant features ensure that users can continue to gain access to shared files, even if a server becomes unavailable

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

?? Describe the purpose of Dfs

?? Create a fault-tolerant Dfs root

?? Configure child nodes for a fault-tolerant Dfs root

?? Identify the guidelines to configure Dfs for a multisite environment

In this module, you will learn

to share file resources in a

network by installing,

configuring, and

managing Dfs

? Introduction to Dfs

?What Is Dfs?

?Types of Dfs Roots

?Accessing File Resources Through Dfs

?Using the UNC Syntax to Access File Resources

In a network environment, it may be difficult for users to keep track of the physical locations of shared folders Dfs allows administrators to build hierarchical file systems that span multiple file servers and file shares This allows users to gain access to shared folders at a single point, regardless of where these folders are located in the network

Slide Objective

To introduce the basic

concepts of Dfs

Lead-in

You use Dfs to allow users

to gain access to shared

folders at a single point,

independent of the servers

on which these shared

folders are located

What Is Dfs?

Server2

South West Sales Data

Server1

Sales Data North East

Dfs Root Child Nodes

Dfs is a single hierarchical file system whose contents are distributed across the enterprise network Dfs provides a logical tree structure for file resources that may be physically located anywhere on the network Because a Dfs tree is a single point of reference, users can easily gain access to network resources regardless of the actual location of the files and file servers

To share file resources across the netw ork, Dfs does the following:

?? Organizes resources in a tree structure Dfs organizes shared folders that

can reside on different computers A Dfs share uses a tree structure containing a root and child nodes Each Dfs root can have multiple child nodes beneath it, each of which points to a shared folder The child nodes of the Dfs root represent shared folders that can be physically located on different file servers

?? Facilitates network navigation Dfs provides users with easy navigation to

shared folders A user who has access to the shared folder through Dfs does not need to know the name of the server on which the folder is shared This simplifies network access because users do not need to find the server where

a specific folder is located After connecting to a Dfs root, users can browse and gain access to all file resources below the root, regardless of the physical location of the resource in the network

?? Facilitates network administration Dfs simplifies the administration of

multiple shared folders If a server fails, you can move the shared folder that

a child node represents from one server to another without users being aware of the change All that is required to indicate the new location of the resource that a child node represents is to modify Dfs to refer to the new server location Users continue to use the same path for the child node

?? Preserves network permissions A user can gain access to a shared folder

through Dfs only if the permissions of the shared folder itself and any applicable NTFS file system permissions allow the user to gain access to the folder

folders and simplifies

navigation to shared folders

Key Points

If a user has the required

permission to gain access to

a shared folder, he or she

can gain access to the

shared folder through Dfs

Only members of the

Administrators group can

administer Dfs trees

Types of Dfs Roots

Stand-Alone Dfs Root

Stand-Alone

Stand-Alone Dfs Dfs Root Root

?Stores the Dfs Topology on a SingleComputer

?Provides No Fault Tolerance if theComputer Fails

?Allows Only One Server to HostEach Stand-Alone Dfs Root

?Supports Only a Single Level ofChild Nodes

?Stores the Dfs Topology on a SingleComputer

?Provides No Fault Tolerance if theComputer Fails

?Allows Only One Server to HostEach Stand-Alone Dfs Root

?Supports Only a Single Level ofChild Nodes

Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

Fault-Tolerant

Fault-Tolerant Dfs Dfs Root Root

?Stores the Dfs Topology in ActiveDirectory

?Continues to Function When aServer Fails

?Allows All Participating Servers to Hostand Provide Fault Tolerance for a GivenDfs Root

?Supports Multiple Levels of Child Nodes

?Supports File Replication

?Stores the Dfs Topology in ActiveDirectory

?Continues to Function When aServer Fails

?Allows All Participating Servers to Hostand Provide Fault Tolerance for a GivenDfs Root

?Supports Multiple Levels of Child Nodes

?Supports File Replication

A Dfs root represents the topmost part of the Dfs topology It is the starting point for the hierarchy of shared folders An enterprise may have any number

of Dfs roots, but each computer running Windows 2000 Server can host only one Dfs root A Dfs root can be defined at the domain level (for fault-tolerant Dfs operation only) or at the server level You can configure the following two types of Dfs roots:

?? Stand-alone Dfs root Stores the Dfs topology on a single computer

Because all of the information about the Dfs topology is stored on one computer, a stand-alone Dfs root does not provide root-level fault tolerance

or load balancing (load balancing means distributing client requests for gaining access to files across multiple servers) Only one server can host each stand-alone Dfs root Also, a stand-alone Dfs root supports only a single level of child nodes, and a child node cannot contain another child node

Use fault-tolerant Dfs roots on computers that are members of a domain A fault-tolerant Dfs root provides all benefits of a stand-alone Dfs root

?? Fault-tolerant Dfs root Stores the Dfs topology in Active Directory™

directory service Because fault-tolerant Dfs is integrated with Active Directory, all of the information about the logical name space is maintained

in Active Directory If you have multiple servers in your domain, all participating servers can host and provide fault tolerance for a given Dfs root This means that a fault-tolerant Dfs root can continue to function even when a server hosting the root fails Fault-tolerant Dfs roots also support nested levels of child nodes In addition, fault-tolerant Dfs roots support file replication that enables you to synchronize files between multiple replicas

provides no fault tolerance

because the Dfs topology is

stored on a single computer

A fault-tolerant Dfs root

provides fault tolerance

because the Dfs topology is

stored in Active Directory

Note

Accessing File Resources Through Dfs

Client connects to a Dfs server Client connects to a Dfs server Client receives a referral to child node Client receives a referral to child node Dfs client connects to child node

Sales Data Sales Data

Server1

1 2

When a user connects to a Dfs root, the user sees all first level child nodes as folders in the Dfs root The user can then connect to one of the child nodes by opening the folder that the child node represents The user can also directly connect to a child node Whenever a user accesses a child node, the following happens:

1 The client computer establishes a connection to the server that hosts Dfs

2 The server that hosts Dfs returns the physical location of the shared folder that the child node represents

3 The client computer establishes a connection with the server that contains the shared folder The client then caches this referral so it can continue to connect to the shared folder represented by the Dfs child node without contacting the server hosting the Dfs root again, but it periodically contacts the server hosting the Dfs root to update the referral

Dfs does not use separate NTFS permissions or shared folder permissions for child nodes Windows 2000 applies all permissions that you assign to the shared folder to which the child node points

Slide Objective

To describe how to gain

access to file resources

through Dfs

Lead-in

You gain access to file

resources through Dfs in the

same way that you gain

access to other shared

folders The process of

When a Dfs client connects

to a Dfs root, the client sees

all first-level child nodes

When a Dfs client connects

to a child node, it requests

the location of the shared

folder representing the

child node

Important

Using the UNC Syntax to Access Dfs File Resources

?Accessing File Resources on a Single Server

\\ server \ share \ path Server Hosting Dfs Root Dfs Root Dfs Root Child Node and Folders Within It Child Node and Folders Within It

?Accessing File Resources on a Domain

\\ domain \ share \ path Domain Hosting Dfs Root

Domain Hosting Dfs Root Dfs Root Dfs Root Child Node and Folders Within It Child Node and Folders Within It

In addition to using Windows Explorer to access file resources through Dfs, you can map network drives or connect from a command line by specifying the universal naming convention (UNC) path, which uses the syntax

\\server\share\path The following table describes the parts of the UNC syntax

server The name of the server hosting the Dfs root share The name of the Dfs root

path The name of the child node and any folders within it

For example, if you type \\Server1\Data\Sales\International in the Map

Network Drive wizard, Windows 2000 first establishes a connection to the Server1 computer, which hosts the Dfs root data The computer then receives a referral to the shared folder that is represented by the Sales child node A connection is established to this shared folder, and a drive is mapped to the International folder in it

If your client computer is running Windows 2000, use the name of the domain that is hosting a fault-tolerant Dfs root instead of the name of a single server in the UNC path Because Active Directory stores the topology of a fault-tolerant Dfs root, the client computer can query Active Directory for a server hosting

the Dfs root To connect to a domain, the syntax would be \\domain\share\path

Only client computers with Dfs client software can gain access

to Dfs resources Computers running Windows 2000, Windows NT®

version 4.0, and Windows 98 include a Dfs client For computers running Windows 95, you can download and install a Dfs client from http://www.microsoft.com/ntServer/nts/downloads/winfeatures/NTSDistrFile/ default.asp

Slide Objective

To describe how the UNC

syntax is used to gain

access to Dfs file resources

Lead-in

You can map network drives

or connect from a command

line by specifying the

UNC path

Use an ex ample to explain

the UNC syntax

Key Points

If you use fault-tolerant Dfs,

you can use the name of the

domain hosting the Dfs root

instead of the name of a

single server in the

UNC path

Important

? Setting Up a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

?Creating a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

?Creating Additional Replicas for a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

Administrators can ensure that users can gain access to all shared folders from a common location by setting up a Dfs root Because fault-tolerant roots can be hosted on multiple servers, creating a fault-tolerant Dfs root ensures that the Dfs root can continue to function even when a server hosting the root fails The fault-tolerant Dfs root is hosted on multiple servers by creating replicas that are stored on each server

Administrators can ensure

that users can gain access

to all shared folders from a

common location by setting

up a Dfs root

Creating a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

To Create a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

To Create a Fault-Tolerant

Select the New Dfs Root Volume Option Select the New Dfs Root Volume Option

Configure the Create New Dfs Root Wizard Options by Selecting:

Select Dfs Root Type Select Domain to Host Dfs Specify Server to Host Dfs Select Share for Dfs Root Volume Provide the Dfs Root Name

Configure the Create New Dfs Root Wizard Options by Selecting:

Select Dfs Root Type Select Domain to Host Dfs Specify Server to Host Dfs Select Share for Dfs Root Volume Provide the Dfs Root Name

You can create a fault-tolerant Dfs root so that the Dfs root continues to function even when the server hosting the root fails Because changes to a fault-tolerant Dfs tree are automatically stored in Active Directory, you can always restore a Dfs tree topology on another server if the server hosting the Dfs root goes offline for any reason

To create a fault-tolerant Dfs root, perform the following steps:

1 In Distributed File System in Microsoft Management Console (MMC),

right-click Distributed File System, and then click New Dfs Root Volume

2 Use the Create New Dfs Root wizard to create a fault-tolerant Dfs root The following table describes the wizard options

Select Dfs Root Type

Selects the Dfs root type To create a fault-tolerant Dfs

root type, select Fault-Tolerant Dfs (If you want to create

a stand-alone Dfs root type, select Stand-alone Dfs.)

Select Domain to Host Dfs

Selects the domain that stores the Dfs topology A domain can host multiple Dfs roots

Specify Server to Host Dfs

Specifies the first host server, which is the initial connection point for all resources in the Dfs tree

You can create a Dfs root on any computer running Windows 2000 Server

Select Share for Dfs Root Volume

Selects the shared folder to host the Dfs root You can choose an existing shared folder or create a new shared folder

Provide the Dfs Root Name

Provides the descriptive name for the Dfs root that Windows Explorer displays

Slide Objective

To describe how to create a

fault-tolerant Dfs root

Lead-in

You create fault-tolerant Dfs

roots to allow you to

maintain the Dfs tree

topology even if the server

hosting the Dfs root

Because changes to a

fault-tolerant Dfs tree are stored

in Active Directory, you can

always restore a Dfs tree

topology if the server

hosting the Dfs root goes

offline for any reason

Creating Additional Replicas for a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

Server1 Hosting Dfs Root

Server2 Hosting Dfs Root

To create additional replicas for fault-tolerant Dfs roots, perform the following steps:

1 Right-click the domain where you want to create the additional replica, and

then click New Root Replica Member

2 Use the Create New Dfs Root wizard to select the options for creating the additional replica The only options that are available while creating

additional replicas are Specify Server to Host Dfs and Select Share for Dfs Root Volume

Slide Objective

To illustrate how to create

additional replicas for a

fault-tolerant Dfs root

Lead-in

You create multiple replicas

of a Dfs root so that if a

client connection to one

replica of a Dfs root fails,

the Dfs client can connect to

the other replica of the root

? Configuring Child Nodes for a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

?Setting Up Dfs Child Nodes

?Creating Multiple Replicas of Child Nodes

?Configuring Replication Among Child Nodes

After you create a Dfs root, you can expand a Dfs tree by adding multiple child nodes to the Dfs root In addition, you can host a child node on multiple servers through the use of replicas If a server hosting a child node fails, the Dfs client automatically connects to another replica hosting the child node This

switchover is transparent to the user Because Dfs is site-aware, when there are multiple replicas, the Dfs client attempts to connect to the same site as that of the user This can greatly reduce network traffic

Slide Objective

To introduce the topics

related to configuring child

nodes for a fault-tolerant

Dfs root

Lead-in

Users can browse the child

nodes in a Dfs tree without

knowing where the

referenced resources are

physically located

Setting Up Dfs Child Nodes

To Create a Fault-Tolerant Dfs Root

To Create a Fault-Tolerant

Select the Dfs Root Select the Dfs Root

Configure the Add to Dfs Dialog Box Options by Selecting:

Child Node Send the user to this network path Comment

Clients cache this Dfs referral for

x seconds

Configure the Add to Dfs Dialog Box Options by Selecting:

Child Node Send the user to this network path Comment

Clients cache this Dfs referral for

x seconds

Select the Dfs Root Select the Dfs Root

A child node is a portion of the Dfs namespace below the Dfs root that is

mapped to a standard shared folder on the network A new Dfs child node can refer to a shared folder with or without subfolders A Dfs child node can also point to another Dfs root This configuration allows you to create a large Dfs tree that combines other Dfs trees

To create a Dfs child node, perform the following steps:

1 In Distributed File System, click the Dfs root to which you will add a child node

2 On the Action menu, click New Dfs Child Node

3 In the Add to Dfs dialog box, configure the options described in the

Comment Adds information (optional) to help keep track of the

shared folder (for example, the actual name of the shared folder) Users see the comment when browsing Dfs by using Windows Explorer

Clients cache this Dfs

referral for x seconds

Specifies the length of time that clients cache a referral

to a Dfs child node The Dfs client queries the Dfs server about the current location of the child node if the client has not accessed the child node in this amount

A Dfs child node exists

below the Dfs root and can

refer to a shared folder with

or without subfolders

Explain why a Dfs client

caches the referral to the

Because a Dfs child node

can also point to another

Dfs root, you can create

a large Dfs tree that

combines other Dfs trees

Creating Multiple Replicas of Child Nodes

? Fault Tolerance and Load Balancing

? Uninterrupted Access

to Shared Folders

? Distribution of Requests Across Multiple Servers

Server2

Sales Data

Sales Data North East

Dfs Share Sales Data

Sales Data North East

Server3

Sales Data

Sales Data North East

A replica is another instance of a child node Configuring multiple replicas of

a child node creates fault tolerance and load balancing When one replica of a child node becomes unavailable (for example, because the computer hosting the replica is unavailable), Dfs clients automatically connect to the other replica This ensures uninterrupted access to shared folders

In addition, when multiple clients connect to a child node that has multiple replicas, these client requests are distributed across all of the servers hosting the replicas This load balancing ensures that users experience faster response times because multiple servers are simultaneously responding to client requests

To create multiple replicas, perform the following steps:

1 In Distributed File System, right-click the child node for which you want to

create a new replica, and then click New Dfs Replica Member

2 Click Browse to select the server that will host the Dfs child node from the

available network shares

3 Select Join Replication if you want the File Replication Service (FRS) to

automatically replicate any changes that occur in any replica of the child

node to all other replicas Select No Replication if you want no replication Click OK

4 Copy the files to be replicated to the shared folder assigned as a replica

Each child node can have up to 32 replicas

across multiple servers, you

can configure multiple

replicas of a child node

Configuring multiple replicas

of a child node creates

fault tolerance and

load balancing

When one replica of a child

node becomes unavailable,