Confguring Distributed File System

TOPIC 7:
CONFIGURING DISTRIBUTED FIL
E SYSTEM (DFS)
ITP4112 Network and Virtualized Systems
Administration Project

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 LESSON INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completion of the lesson, students are expected to:
Know how to install the Distributed File System.

Confguring Distributed File System

Know how to configure the Distributed File System.

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 OVERVIEW
DFS provides a hierarchical tree structure that enables users to
access resource anywhere in the domain, with the actual locati
on of the resource (such as a volume or folder) transparent to t

Confguring Distributed File System

he users.
This allows resources to be spread across file servers and also
supports the creation of identical shared folders that supply th
e same resources to the users and also provide fault tolerance.
Users do not need to know the name of the server that is provi
ding the shared resources (as a user does when trying to map a
drive to a shared resource).
DFS enables you to use the shares that you have created and th
e various share and NTFS permissions that you have set for sha
res and files. DFS is really just supplying an overall structure for
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how users see and access the shares.

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 INSTALL DFS
Install the DFS service as part of the File Service
role for your Windows Server 2008.
As pat of the installation of the DFS service, you
also install DFS Namespaces and DFS replication

Confguring Distributed File System

.
Open the Add Role Services Wizard from the Ser
ver Manager, select the File Services node. Then
select the Add Role Services link in the details pa
ne.
Select Distributed File System in the Role Service
s list and then click Next.
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Confguring Distributed File System
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 CREATE A DFS NAMESPACE
The DFS root must be identified, which supplies th
e main DFS container. Then child links can be adde
d to the DFS root that point at other shares on the
network. Type a name for the DFS root.
Users will see the DFS hierarchical tree when they

Confguring Distributed File System

want to map a network drive or access network sh
ares.

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 SELECT NAMESPACE TYPE
By default, a domain-based DFS namespace is selected, which
is stored on namespace servers and in the Active Directory.
The Windows Server 2008 mode enables you to easily add to t
he DFS tree and also take advantage of access-based enumer
ation (meaning user access based on permissions).

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 CONFIGURE NAMESPACE
You need to associate the share (folder) that is to b
e at the root of the DFS hierarchy. You can then ad
d branches to the DFS root (and the associated sha

Confguring Distributed File System

re), using the DFS snap-in.

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 ADD FOLDER TO NAMESPACE
User the Browse button to locate the shared folder
that is to be associated with the DFS root.

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 ADD FOLDER TO NAMESPACE
Click OK after specifying the folder.

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 CONFIRM INSTALLATION SELECTIONS
Click Install to install the DFS services and also esta
blish the DFS root and namespace.

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 MANAGE DFS
After installation, you can manage the DFS tree in t
he DFS Management snap-in.

Confguring Distributed File System

To start the snap-in, select Start, Administrative To
ols and then DFS Management.

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 ADD DFS FOLDERS
After the DFS root has been created, additions to t
he DFS tree and the namespace can be made.

Confguring Distributed File System

You can add DFS folders to the tree that provide h
ierarchical containers, which can be used to provi
de a structure to your DFS tree and also can be th
e host for shared folders on the server or any se
rver on the network.
This means that shares from multiple servers in t
he domain can easily be added to the DFS tree.

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 ADD DFS FOLDERS
Expand the Namespaces node and then select the
root of your DFS namespace.

Confguring Distributed File System

Click New Folder in the Actions pane.

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 ADD DFS FOLDERS
Enter the name for the n
ew folder. To associate th
is folder with a share on t
he server (or on the netw

Confguring Distributed File System

ork), click the Add button
.
Provide the address of th

e share, to specify the tar

get for the DFS folder. If y
ou plan on replicating the
folder (between two or m
ore file servers), you nee
d to specify multiple targ
ets for the DFS folder. 15

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