Confused about DFS!

Hello.

We have 2DCs(win2000), which have a DFS-folder USERFILES(2-way replication)

The Setup of DFS is like this:

IF DC1\USERFILES dont work go to DC2\USERFILES.

As i see, Both DFS-links are working, BUT the Clients(winXP) goes in Random
manner to DC1 or to DC2(aktive dfs-link).

Connection to DFS-folder are : \\domain\userfiles.


Can someone tell what is here wrong??

Point is : IF DC1\userfiles is avaliable than CONNECT to DC1 not to DC2!

Thanks.

In DFS prior to Windows 2003 R2, there is no way to set a referral order for
multiple target of a DFS link. If DC1 and DC2 are in the same AD site then
clients will get a referral list in random order of all link targets in the
same site. In Windows 2003 R2 manual referral ordering was introduced so
that Administrators could control this behavior.

In DFS prior to 2003 R2, you can disable referral on a particular target so
that users will not be directed to it. This would mean a manual step in the
event of a failure of the target on, say, DC1 to re-enable referrals of the
target on DC2 and get user back up and running.

So unless there is some trick I am not aware of to achieve manual referral
ordering in DFS on win2k, then I'd say this is the behaviour you are stuck
with. In your post you said that:

> The Setup of DFS is like this:
>
> IF DC1\USERFILES dont work go to DC2\USERFILES.

How did you achieve this?

Cheers,
Jeremy.

"marsias" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:u8e$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello.
>
> We have 2DCs(win2000), which have a DFS-folder USERFILES(2-way
> replication)
>
> The Setup of DFS is like this:
>
> IF DC1\USERFILES dont work go to DC2\USERFILES.
>
> As i see, Both DFS-links are working, BUT the Clients(winXP) goes in
> Random manner to DC1 or to DC2(aktive dfs-link).
>
> Connection to DFS-folder are : \\domain\userfiles.
>
>
> Can someone tell what is here wrong??
>
> Point is : IF DC1\userfiles is avaliable than CONNECT to DC1 not to DC2!
>
> Thanks.
>

Hello.
>
>> The Setup of DFS is like this:
>>
>> IF DC1\USERFILES dont work go to DC2\USERFILES.
>
> How did you achieve this?

This was only a example:

If a setup a DFS -Link, DFS ask where to go if DC1\userfiles not active.

My problem is, Users can, in the same time, edit the original-File(in DC1)
and the Replica(in DC2), If they have 2 different active DFS-links.

If they have the same Active DFS-link the second User receiver a message "
The file been used for another User.......Readonly opening"

This problem i try to resolve.

Any suggestion for this???



Thanks.

I've never seen this prompt that you refer to. I added a second target to a
DFS link and didn't get any prompts. Can you please detail the steps taken
to be prompted like this?

"marsias" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello.
>>
>>> The Setup of DFS is like this:
>>>
>>> IF DC1\USERFILES dont work go to DC2\USERFILES.
>>
>> How did you achieve this?
>
> This was only a example:
>
> If a setup a DFS -Link, DFS ask where to go if DC1\userfiles not active.
>
> My problem is, Users can, in the same time, edit the original-File(in DC1)
> and the Replica(in DC2), If they have 2 different active DFS-links.
>
> If they have the same Active DFS-link the second User receiver a message "
> The file been used for another User.......Readonly opening"
>
> This problem i try to resolve.
>
> Any suggestion for this???
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>

"Jeremy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:EB63FD47-24DA-4798-AE05-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've never seen this prompt that you refer to. I added a second target to
> a DFS link and didn't get any prompts. Can you please detail the steps
> taken to be prompted like this?

Jeremy ,

If two Clients have the same Active Dfs-link eq.DC1\userfiles and one User
has e.q. test.txt open, if another user try to open the same file on
DC1\userfiles eq. test.txt will got a Prompt form EXCEL, WORD with the
message "File already openend .........." . This is normal ! Where to you
use see a Problem??("windows access file startegy").

This senario above, i wont to create. This means that all user have the same
active dfs-link. Otherwise two users can edit the same file, in the same
time(original,replica)!!. This is to avoid!.

How is you dfs-link?? Can 2 different user in the same time, the same file
edit in your dfs-link(Original and Replica)??


ciao

Like I said, you just can't order referrals in DFS in windows 2000. You
need Windows 2003 R2. This allows you to manually control which referrals
are at the top of the list when they are in the same site. Alternatively
put the second replica in a different AD site from the first replica and all
the clients. Then they will ALWAYS get the referral from the replica in the
same site first and if it is down they will go to the second replica.
"marsias" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Jeremy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:EB63FD47-24DA-4798-AE05-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I've never seen this prompt that you refer to. I added a second target
>> to a DFS link and didn't get any prompts. Can you please detail the
>> steps taken to be prompted like this?
>
> Jeremy ,
>
> If two Clients have the same Active Dfs-link eq.DC1\userfiles and one User
> has e.q. test.txt open, if another user try to open the same file on
> DC1\userfiles eq. test.txt will got a Prompt form EXCEL, WORD with the
> message "File already openend .........." . This is normal ! Where to you
> use see a Problem??("windows access file startegy").
>
> This senario above, i wont to create. This means that all user have the
> same active dfs-link. Otherwise two users can edit the same file, in the
> same time(original,replica)!!. This is to avoid!.
>
> How is you dfs-link?? Can 2 different user in the same time, the same file
> edit in your dfs-link(Original and Replica)??
>
>
> ciao
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Alternatively
> put the second replica in a different AD site from the first replica and
> all the clients. Then they will ALWAYS get the referral from the replica
> in the same site first and if it is down they will go to the second
> replica.

Hello jeremy.

This is a good idea!

How can i do this in a simplest way??


Can you explain please the steps to be needed??

thanks.

In AD sites and services create a new subnet
Create a new site and assign the new subnet to the site
Move the second server to the new subnet

Now, I make no comments on whether it is a good idea or not because I
suspect that this server is also a DC, so doing this may have more
consequences than you understand. So can I suggest you do your own research
so you can come to an understanding of what you are doing.

Good Luck,
Jeremy

"marsias" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Alternatively
>> put the second replica in a different AD site from the first replica and
>> all the clients. Then they will ALWAYS get the referral from the replica
>> in the same site first and if it is down they will go to the second
>> replica.
>
> Hello jeremy.
>
> This is a good idea!
>
> How can i do this in a simplest way??
>
>
> Can you explain please the steps to be needed??
>
> thanks.
>
>
>
>
>