DFS

[N1ro]

I just set up DFS on two servers, one in our main site and another in a satellite site...the sites are connected with a T1. The replication between the servers is working fine...and it's the only DFS share set up. I have two questions about it tho'...when typing \\domain.com\folder it always goes to the main sites server...even if you try from the satellite site. How do I make it so it points to the closest server?
My second question is that when typing \\domain.com it sometimes lists the dfs share I created...and other times it lists something completely different...but if typing \\domain.com\folder then it goes to my dfs without a problem. Did I set up something wrong?

Thanks

 

[svsawkar]

1) If you have/had sites created before you setup the DFS namespace, make sure you installed the DFS root replica of the satellite site while the server was actually in that site. If you install DFS on both servers at your central location and then just move the server to the satellite site, then you will not be able to use the site intelligence built into DFS. This is because this site information is stored as a binary blob and is not dynamically updated in Windows 2000. Windows 2003 is able to do all of this dynamically.

Also see 'dfsutil /insite' from the Support Tools on the Server CD.

2)When it lists soemthing "completely different" what is it listing? If you use 'dfsutil /pktinfo' you'll see which server it's getting the information from. I wonder if this information is coming from this second server.

/Siddharth

 

[N1ro]

I'm not at work right now...but you're right I set up the dfs shares in my main office and then just move it to another site. Do I have to completely remove and recreate the shares or is there a dfsutil switch that'll update it for me? I'll try the dfustil /pktinfo tommmorow and see what I get.

Another thing I just remembered....when I originally created the dfs I made a test folder and created a \\domain.com\test dfs share...now sometimes going to \\domain.com it will still list the test folder (when it actually does list the dfs I created). I deleted the test dfs share and the folders from both servers.

 

[N1ro]

When running dfsutil /siteinfo:server it reports both servers as being in the right site.

When running dfsuti /pktinfo...this is what I get (I changed all names to generic names obviously).
--mup.sys--
1 entries...
Entry: \domain.com\SysVol
ShortEntry: \domain.com\SysVol
Expires in 180 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x81 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS )
0:[\server1.careplushealth.com\SysVol] State:0x39 (ACTIVE)
1:[\server2.careplushealth.com\SysVol] State:0x29 ( )
2:[\server3.careplushealth.com\SysVol] State:0x29 ( )
3:[\server4.careplushealth.com\SysVol] State:0x29 ( )
4:[\server5.careplushealth.com\SysVol] State:0x29 ( )
5:[\server6.careplushealth.com\SysVol] State:0x29 ( )
6:[\server7.careplushealth.com\SysVol] State:0x29 ( )

The only dfs share I get when doing dfsuti /list:domain is the one I created. But I still don't see that share when going to \\domain.com...I get a few other folders...none of which I'm able to open (I get an error folder is not accessible) except for sysvol which I can get into. These might be old dfs shares that our old admin created and maybe tried to remove. How do I get rid of these and make only the dfs share I created appear?

Thanks

 

[svsawkar]

Start by just re-installing DFS from the servers and waiting for the change to replicate around. Then we can tackle your other stuff

You don't have to remove any shares- just remove DFS from the transplanted machines.

Once we have that working, we can clean the rest up.

/Siddharth

 

[N1ro]

I just reinstalled DFS on both servers...I still have the problem where typing \\domain.com doesn't list my shares. Typing \\domain.com in the smaller site does list the shares. It's probably also worth saying that in the main office the dfs share is not on a domain controller and in the smaller office it is on a DC.

 

[N1ro]

anybody?

 

[Teamaker]

Sorry no answer here but i do have a prob.

How does DFS cope with a slow but non routed link, we have DFS for our .man profiles to try and speed up logging on at a remote site, this site has a permanent leased line but no routing is there a way to ensure that people logging on at the remote site will get their profile from their local DC.

!!A good cup of Tetley keeps the madness at bay!!

 

[svsawkar]

Teamaker- you'll have much better response if you create a new thread.

N1ro-

Are the outputs of dfsutil /pktinfo the same from both main and remote sites (ignoring the active link) after you try to \\domain.com

So what is shown in the main site? Incorrect informatino or nothing at all?

/Siddharth

 

[N1ro]

Thanks for the reply...

the output of dfsutil /pktinfo is the same from both sites.

going to \\domain.com from the main site I get a few folders...Sysvol, Netlogon, Packages, pwrchute, vphome, vplogon, scheduled tasks, printers and faxes. Most of them I can't even get into (says it's not accessible). Some of those look like a dfs that our old admin might of set up for testing...but I don't see any dfs shares in the dfs snapin...and running dfsutil /list:domain the only dfs found is the one I created.

Also...after recreating the dfs between the sites...going to \\domain.com\folder from the satellite site still seems to point to the main site...since copying a 10 meg file takes a few minutes, copying the same file by just going to a share on their server takes a few seconds.

Thanks

 

[svsawkar]

Do you have AD sites defined? Do all of your clients in your remote site ALWAYS log onto the remote domain controller? If your sites aren't setup correctly, DFS site affinity will not work either.

If sites are setup correctly, you can use dfsutil again with the /insite switch to force clients to stay in the same site.

If you suspect that you have old DFS information that was removed incorrectly (as per your other admin comment) you will need to search the KB for the article on how to strip out all of the DFS information. Was it setup as a domain based DFS? If so, you'll have to go into the Domain NC and also possibly the registry.

What is the error message you get when trying to get into the old shares? After you attempt to get into the old shares, if you do a /pktinfo, do you have new information cached on the client?

/Siddharth

 

[N1ro]

Yea I have AD sites defines...and dfsutil /siteinfo shows the dfs servers in the right sites.

The error I get when going to the old shares is \\domain.com\folder is not accessible. I still don't see any of the folders I created when going to \\domain.com from the main site, but going to \\domain.com\folder does work.

I ran the dfsutil /insite command on the smaller sites server but I didn't have a chance to test it today since I didn't have a chance to actually go there.

I'll look for the kb article on how to remove old dfs shares that are lingering around still.