docs/Workflows/Windows/Windows Server/Roles/DFS/Setting Up DFS Across Multiple File Servers.md

Purpose

If you want to ensure that data is safely replicated across multiple file servers in a domain environment, you will want to set up DFS "namespaces". These are network shares that are distributed across multiple file servers, and appear as one network share. They replicate to eachother automatically, keeping both in sync with eachother. The document below outlines the process of deploying DFS across two (2) file servers.

!!! info "Assumptions" It is assumed that you have at least two Windows Server based servers already set-up, both are running the correct Editions of Windows Server (e.g. "Standard"), are activated, and are domain joined with sensible hostnames (e.g. LAB-FPS-01 and LAB-FPS-02), and that both have statically-assigned IP addresses.

Installing Server Roles

The first step you want to perform is installing the necessary roles on both servers.

• Navigate to "Server Manager > Manage > Add Roles and Features
• Click "Next" through the windows of the role wizard until you reach the "Server Roles" page
• Expand "File and Storage Services"
  • Expand "File and iSCSI Services"
    • Check "File Server"
    • Check "DFS Namespaces"
    • Check "DFS Replication"
• Click the "Next" button
• Click the "Next" button
• Click the "Install" button and wait for the installation to finish.

Create & Configure Network Shares

The next step in the process is to ensure that the network shares that will be shared via DFS have sane permissions. You will want to ensure the following minimum permissions are configured.

!!! warning "Replicate Folders and Permissions Across all File Servers" It is important for you to understand that every member server of the DFS namespaces and replication need to be configured identically, with the same local drive letters and folder structures. The data for the shares only needs to exist on one server to ensure it can be replicated across to the other member servers of the DFS namespaces.

Permission Type	User / Group	Access Level
Share	Authenticated Users	Full Control
NTFS	SYSTEM	Full Control
NTFS	Share_Admins	Full Control
NTFS	<Any Users / Groups That Need Access>	Modify

DFS Management

DFS Breakdown

At this point, we need to create a DFS "Namespace". This is basically a logical representation of either a single or a group of individual folders on one or more file servers. The files and folders appear under a singular location like \\bunny-lab.io\Projects\Scripting. In this example, Projects is the namespace (Its not a real folder with data), and Scripting is a folder replicated across one or more file servers, mapping to a real (generally hidden) network share like \\LAB-FPS-01\Projects$\Scripting. In this example, there is a network share located at Projects$ that (organizationally) correlates to the Projects DFS namespace, but you should not put files and folders in this root location, as it can cause issues or introduce potential corruption.

DFS Configuration

Now, we need to start working on actually setting up DFS now that the shares exist on both locations.