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ianternet
Old Timer
United Kingdom
341 Posts
Status: offline |
 Posted - 04/30/2006 : 04:29:47 AM
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W2k3 domain with sp1 applied
The server that is acting as our dfs root (it is 1 of our 2 dc's), has been suffering some bizarre hardware problems recently. The suppliers tec support guys have been trying to locate the problem. However, whilst there was a problem the server was still running, but is starting to crash and is getting increasingly difficult to get back up. I have access to a spare server, and was thinking that I would install w2k3 to that, and transfer our sql server databases and files to the new one whilst the existing one was repaired.
The server that is failing holds our dfs root, and I would like to preferably move the root to the new server, copy the files over, set up new links and hey presto!!! However, can't see how to move the root. Is it possible?
Cheers
Ian
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wkasdo
Moderator
Netherlands
6140 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 04/30/2006 : 08:18:39 AM
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| If it's not a domain-based DFS root, then you cannot move it without changing its name. Moving == recreate in this context. If it _is_ domain based, it is a matter of moving all data and changing the link. |
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ianternet
Old Timer
United Kingdom
341 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 04/30/2006 : 09:27:30 AM
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It is a domain-based DFS root (or at least I'm pretty sure it is). How do I tell for sure?
When you say moving the data and changing the link, what precisely do you mean?
Ian |
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wkasdo
Moderator
Netherlands
6140 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 04/30/2006 : 09:54:24 AM
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domain-based dfs is where the UNC path contains the domain and not a server name (FQDN).
moving the data: copy (better: backup/restore) them to the other server in a shared folder, and add that folder to the DFS folder links. The end result is transparent for the user because the UNC path stays the same (for domain based DFS!)
Sorry I can't be exact on details and terminology, I'm not close to my lab now. |
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ianternet
Old Timer
United Kingdom
341 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 04/30/2006 : 11:52:52 AM
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Yes it is a domain based dfs.
I understand what you are saying, but by moving the files, and adding a link to the dfs folder, I would presumably have a problem once the problem server was offline, because although the dfs is published in AD, the actual root exists on the problem server.
EG, when the above server went down, it just could not find the dfs at all, because it was physically on that server, although was visible in AD.
Could I move the files, delete the existing root and create a new root the same?
I am running the standard edition, so unfortunately, can only create one root.
Hope I'm making sense.
Ian |
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ianternet
Old Timer
United Kingdom
341 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 04/30/2006 : 12:17:39 PM
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I think I may have stumbled across the resolution.
There is a dfs utility, aptly named dfsutil !
Using this, you can export the dfs namespace to an xml file, and the import this to a new server.
I have a couple of queries on this if anyone can help. Given that I am only allowed one dfs root under the standard edition, will I need to take the failed server offline before importing the dfs namespace? If so, is it better to have restored all the files to the new server before importing the namespace?
Cheers
Ian |
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ianternet
Old Timer
United Kingdom
341 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 05/03/2006 : 01:47:39 AM
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As there seem to be no definitive answers, I will experiment with this when I get the chance.
In the meantime, I am moving all dfs link targets to some temporary shares on another server. Once this has been done, and effectively the dfs root and dfs links contain no actual data apart from the original shares I will test the above.
Ian |
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joe_elway
Honorable But Hopeless Addict
Ireland
6673 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 05/03/2006 : 01:51:08 AM
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| You just want to move domain-based DFS root from one server to another? If so, just create a duplicate root, wait a while and then remove the original root. If there is data on the old server then move it to the new location (Backup/recover, robocopy, dfs replicate, etc) and re-create the links to point to the new location. |
Aidan Finn
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ianternet
Old Timer
United Kingdom
341 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 05/04/2006 : 11:15:53 AM
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I thought you could only have one root with W2k3 standard edition.
Ian |
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wkasdo
Moderator
Netherlands
6140 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 05/04/2006 : 3:42:47 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by ianternet
I thought you could only have one root with W2k3 standard edition.
Ian
Good point. You jogged my memory there. Had to search a bit, but we have an update: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/903651 |
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ptwilliams
Moderator
United Kingdom
4401 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 05/05/2006 : 04:17:46 AM
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There shouldn't be any need to backup and restore anything. You can add additional root targets to the root. Once this is done, you can remove the original root target.
If you want to move the shared folders that the root links to, then you need to physically move data.
Using kb903651 (posted by wkasdo), you can add another root, but I don't see why you want to do this -unless your goal is to change names.
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ianternet
Old Timer
United Kingdom
341 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 05/05/2006 : 04:31:59 AM
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Aw bugger! Wish I'd known about the update before. My server has now failed to boot up normally (thanks to an engineer playing with the bios - although I can't prove it, of course), and I can only boot in safe mode with network. Unfortunately the dfsutil will not work in this mode.
I am therefore going to be rebuilding the server shortly and will re-create the root on a different server. The dfsutil does have the ability to clean-up the AD.
Cheers
Ian |
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ptwilliams
Moderator
United Kingdom
4401 Posts
Status: offline |
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ianternet
Old Timer
United Kingdom
341 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 05/08/2006 : 04:01:44 AM
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Thanks, I've successfully cleaned up the AD using dfsutil anyway.
I've created a new root now and also set up a backup root by copying the namespace as per the dfsutil again. However, it is a pity that there isn't the ability to replicate the dfsroot only, such that should the server that holds the root fail, the replicated root can take over. I know I can create a replica root using frs, but I don't want to replicate the data only the root.
Ian |
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ptwilliams
Moderator
United Kingdom
4401 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 05/08/2006 : 05:46:58 AM
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> However, it is a pity that there isn't the ability to replicate the dfsroot only, such that should the server that holds the root fail, the replicated root can take over. I know I can create a replica root using frs, but I don't want to replicate the data only the root.
You'll have to forgive the vagueness of this post, it's been quite awhile since I've thought about this.
However, you can do what you want. You can create a root replica. You should not replicate the root replica (that is very bad practice). Having multipe replicas allows the fault tolerance that you require.
Have a look at the DFS FAQ at www.microsoft.com/dfs
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mitachu
Honorable But Hopeless Addict
United Kingdom
1768 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 03/04/2008 : 10:13:18 AM
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Sorry for dragging this old thread up, but I'm after a way to remove a domain-based DFS root that used to live on a server that died and had to be switched off, roles seized, etc. The bad root is visible in the DFS management console but if I try to do anything with it either with the console or with DFSUTIL, I just get errors about the RPC server being unavailable.
I can't see anything in ADSIEdit either. Anyone got any pointers?
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Tim |
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mitachu
Honorable But Hopeless Addict
United Kingdom
1768 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 03/04/2008 : 10:28:40 AM
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OK, sorted it. It could be done through DFSUTIL afterall.
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Tim |
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dhmdo20
Welcome Newcomer
1 Posts
Status: offline |
Posted - 08/08/2008 : 6:20:07 PM
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Mitachu,
Can you explain how you got it to work?? Any help in this matter is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance. |
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Moving dfs root to new server.
