Windows Server

Churchill · Guest

All,
I have a Windows 2000 AD design with just 1 site. We are using DFS with some
60 different physical locations and are experiencing negative impacts. Our
users struggle to receive updates from the DFS servers in time. This is
because they are being randomly assigned a DFS target server and are
wandering across the network to contact a server for the update.

So the logical step appears to be to create a site for each location.
However, we wish to only populate the site with the File and Print server
(Which is hosting the DFS service). Wwe do not wish to put DC's in these new
sites.

Can anyone forsee any problems or gotchas with doing this. The goal is to
have XP clients contact their local F&Print server (DFS server) everytime
without having to wander across the network.

I have read that on windows 2000 we need to revealuate all the links in the
domain DFS so that the site information is updated. I have also read that
Windows 2003 has a utility DFSUTIL that can do this safely. Is this true? Is
this an out of hours task?

Do I need to touch the clients o clear any caches or on reboot is this cache
cleared automatically?

All comments and thoughts are greatly appreciated,

Kind Regards,

Churchill.

Glenn L · Guest

I'm not quite sure what your problem is.

Is your issue that branch office users are being directed to DFS links
randomly and end up accessing DFS link data across the WAN?
Or is your issue that branch office users are using a remote DFS root server
to obtain link referrels?

Whichever one it is, you can benefit by setting up sites and subnets for all
your branch office locations.
DFS is site aware, and clients will get site specific root and link
referrals based on the site they exist in.

You mention your goal is to have clients contact their local file and print
server everytime without having to cross the WAN.
Be sure you understand the referral process. See "Referral Process for
Domain-based Namespaces" section of the DFS technical reference.
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/2003/all/techref/en-us/Default.asp?url=/Resources/Documentation/windowsserv/2003/all/techref/en-us/w2k3tr_dfs_intro.asp
summerized here;
client contacts DC for domain DFS root referral.
client contacts the DFS root server and obtains DFS link target referral.
client connects to the link data resource.

So what exactly is your goal?
Obviously you want clients to access data locally. Are you storing your
data in DFS links rather than DFS roots? I hope so! See
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/dfsfaq.mspx.
review section under Q. If I use multiple root targets in a domain-based DFS
namespace, do I need to enable replication on the root?

I will assume your data is stored in DFS links..
Are you ok with clients contacting DFS root servers across the WAN to obtain
DFS link referrals?
If not, you will need to make a member server in each branch office site a
DFS root replica server. It is not typically needed to have DFS root
servers in every site. The time required to obtain link referrals from a
remote DFS root server should be very small.

You do not need to touch your workstations or clear caches. This will all
happen automatically. Give it 24 hours after you create sites and subnets
before you expect clients to consistantly access local DFS link targets.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

--
Glenn L
CCNA, MCSE 2000/2003 + Security

"Churchill" <Churchill@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
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