The official blog of the Windows and Windows Server storage engineering teams
In the previous blog post we examined how to create a Windows Failover Cluster for Contoso. Now, let’s examine the steps involved in configuring a highly available file server on this new failover cluster. It is highly recommended to read the previous post first to gain valuable context about the sample deployment scenario that is… Read more
On Windows Server 2008 R2, a Windows Failover cluster can be configured to be a member of a DFSR replication group. This feature can be used to configure highly available replication services. In this three part blog series, let us examine how to configure a Windows Failover cluster as a DFS Replication member server. For… Read more
A request we’ve received consistently from our customers is – How do I know what DFS Replication is currently doing on my server? In Windows Server 2008 R2, we have attempted to provide a way for administrators to better understand the state of replication on their servers. This feature is available by virtue of a… Read more
We recently released the official document that describes how to migrate an existing Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domain to a state where the SYSVOL folder is replicated using DFS Replication. This document was written with extensive help by Mahesh Unnikrishnan and the rest of the DFS Replication team, and replaces the series of “how… Read more
My previous post explained the concept of a read-only replicated folder. Now, let us take a look at how to configure a read-only replicated folder in Windows Server 2008 R2. Pre-deployment considerations Please read the following notes carefully before deploying the read-only replicated folders feature. a) Feature applicability: The read-only replicated folders feature is available… Read more
Jose Barreto has a new blog post covering the basics of the Distributed File System (DFS) in Windows Server 2008, which offers users simplified access to a set of file shares and helps administrators easily maintain the file server infrastructure behind those file shares, including options for load sharing, replication and site awareness. This detailed… Read more
The Windows SDK for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta, including updated documentation, is now available in the Windows Download Center at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a91dc12a-fc94-4027-b67e-46bab7c5226c. For even more up-to-date documentation, see the MSDN Library at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/default.aspx. Here are some links to MSDN documentation updates of particular interest to Filing Cabinet readers: Virtual Disk Service: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd433619.aspx… Read more
In this article, let’s examine the read-only replicated folders feature introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2. Why deploy read-only replicated folders? Consider the following scenario. Contoso Corporation has a replication infrastructure similar to that depicted in the diagram below. Reports are published to the datacenter server and these need to be distributed to Contoso’s branch… Read more
Windows Server 2008 R2 is now available. If you’re eager to know what’s available in R2, please read on. 1. Support for Windows Failover Clusters In Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Failover clusters can be configured to be part of a replication group. Windows Failover clustering technology enables administrators to configure services and applications to… Read more
There are a couple of ways to check the progress of initial replication. You can either use the Event Viewer snap-in or WMI to check whether your replicated folders have finished initial replication. Event Viewer: A separate event (4104) is thrown for each replicated folder on each downstream partner. For example, if there are three… Read more