Overview of Dfs

A distributed file system (Dfs) provides a single tree structure for multiple shared volumes located on different servers on a network. A user accessing a volume on a Dfs tree does not need to know the name of the server where the volume is actually shared.

A file resource that is part of a Dfs tree can be accessed by either its Dfs path name or its \\servername\sharename path.

Each Dfs structure has one root, located at a server. From this root, the tree can have multiple levels of branches, and multiple branches at each level. Each branch can be on a different server.

Each Dfs tree you create is accessible by users of computers running Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows NT Server 4.0, and Windows 95 (Windows 95 Dfs client software is included in this package).


Creating the Root Volume of a New DFS Tree
To create the root volume of a new DFS tree

1	In Control Panel, double-click Network.

2	Click the Services tab.

3	Double-click Distributed File System.

4	Select the Host a Dfs on share check box.

5	If the folder that will serve as the root exists and is shared, type or select the share name.

Or, to use a new share as the root, click New Share and specify the folder.

6	Click OK.


Removing a Volume from the DFS
To remove a volume from the DFS

1	In the Dfsadmin main window, select the volume to remove.

2	From the Dfs menu, click Remove From Dfs.

3	Click Yes.


Adding a Volume to a DFS
To add a volume to the DFS

1	In the Dfsadmin main window, select the volume under which you want the new volume to appear.

2	From the Dfs menu, click Add To Dfs.

3	Under When a user references this path, type the path and volume name for the new volume.

4	Under Send the user to this network path, type the path of the shared directory to add as a volume.

5	Optionally type a comment in the Comment box.

6	Click OK.

Notes and Tips

Use the Browse buttons to browse for a place in the DFS tree to place the new volume, or to browse the network for the shared directory to add to the tree.

If you type a path in Send the user to this network path, use the universal naming convention (such as \\servername\sharename\foldername).


Adding an Alternate Path for a Volume
To add an alternate path for a volume

1	In the Dfsadmin main window, double-click the volume.

2	Click Add.

3	Click Yes.

4	Under Send the user to this network path, type the path of the shared directory to add as an alternate path for the volume.

Notes and Tips

When a volume includes alternate paths, user requests to access the volume will be distributed among the alternate paths.

The DFS software does not ensure that the contents of the volumes are replicated. Network administrators must manually ensure that the alternates stay synchronized.


Removing an Alternate Path From a Volume
To remove an alternate path From a volume

1	In the Dfsadmin main window, double-click the volume.

2	Under Send the user to this network path, select the network path you want to remove.

3	Click Remove.

4	Click OK.


Filtering the Volume List
To filter the list of volumes

1	From the View menu, click Filter.

2	Click the filtering option you want, then click OK.

Notes and Tips

For more information on any of the filtering options, right-click the option and then click What’s This?


Saving the Dfs Tree Structure
To save the Dfs tree structure

1.	From the Dfs menu, click Save As.

2.	Type a name for the file in the File name box, and click Save.

Notes and Tips

Saving the current structure of the Dfs tree to a file, enables you to later reload the Dfs volume structure, in case the structure is lost because the host server crashes, or other failure.

Note that this saves only the links between volumes, not any volume contents.


Restoring the Dfs Tree Structure
To restore the Dfs tree structure

You can save the current structure of the Dfs tree to a file, which you can later reload to restore the Dfs volume structure. Note that this saves only the links between volumes, not any volume contents.

1.	From the Dfs menu, click Load.

2.	Select the file to restore, and click Open.

Notes and Tips

Restoring the tree structure recreates the links between volumes, but does not restore any volume contents.


Lists the existing Dfs trees on the network so that you can select one to administer.


Displays the contents of the selected Dfs volume.


Launches the Windows NT Explorer and displays the contents of the selected Dfs volume.


Enables you to select a shared network volume and add it to the Dfs tree

The default will be to add the new volume as a subfolder of the currently selected volume, but you can override this default.


Removes the selected volume from the Dfs tree structure.


Displays the Dfs properties of the selected volume.

The properties include the volume’s Dfs path, network path, and comment.

From the properties screen you can also take the volume offline, temporarily halting references to this volume through the Dfs tree.


Loads a Dfs structure file (that you previously saved using the Save As comand), restoring the structure of the Dfs tree. Only links between volumes are restored—not volume contents.


Saves the current Dfs structure table to a comma-separated file (CSF). You can later load this CSF file to restore the structure of the Dfs tree in case of failure at the server hosting the Dfs root volume.

This command saves only the links between volumes; no volume contents are saved.


Quits Dfsadmin


Toggles the display of the toolbar.


Toggles the display of the status bar.


Enables you to filter the display of volumes in the main Dfsadmin window. You can filter volumes by name, comment, and the number of alternate servers that provide storage for the volume.


Enables you to change the font used to display the list of volumes in the main Dfsadmin window.


Immediately refreshes the list of volumes in the main Dfsadmin window with the most current information.


Displays the contents of the Dfsadmin Help.


Displays information, including the version number, about the Dfsadmin tool.


Restores Dfsadmin to its current window size so that you can work in it.


Enables you to move the Dfsadmin window to a different position on your screen.


Enables you to change the size of the Dfsadmin window.


Minimizes the Dfsadmin window to an icon.


Causes the Dfsadmin window to use the entire screen.


Quits Dfsadmin.


Sets the Dfsadmin window as the current active window.


Customize Toolbar

Enables you to add and remove commands in the Dfsadmin toolbar..

Click one of the following buttons for more information:

 Available buttons

 Add

 Remove

 Toolbar buttons

 Reset

 Move Up

 Move Down


Available buttons

Lists the buttons available to be added to the toolbar.


Add

Adds the button selected in the Available buttons list to the Toolbar buttons list. The button is added immediately above the button currently selected in Toolbar buttons.


Remove

Removes the selected button from the Toolbar buttons list.


Toolbar buttons

Lists the buttons currently in the toolbar.


Reset

Returns the toolbar to its original configuration, deleting all changes you have ever made to it.


Move Up

Swaps the button selected in the Toolbar buttons list with the button immediately above it.


Move Down

Swaps the button selected in the Toolbar buttons list with the button immediately below it.


Closes this dialog box and saves any changes you have made.


Closes this dialog box without saving any changes you have made.


Causes all volumes in the Dfs tree to be displayed in the Dfsadmin main window.


Causes the Dfsadmin main window to display only the volumes with names that contain the string you type here.


Causes the Dfsadmin main window to display only the volumes with comments that contain the string you type here.


Causes the Dfsadmin main window to display only the volumes that have the number of server locations that you specify here.

You can filter for volumes with a certain exact number of server locations, for volumes with at least a specified number of locations, or volumes with at most a specified number of locations.


Type the server or domain name of the Dfs tree you want to administer here, or select it from the list.

The Dfs name is the domain name if the Dfs tree is hosted on a primary domain controller or backup domain controller, and is a server name if the Dfs tree is hosted on a standalone server.


Select the Dfs tree you want to administer here, or type its name in the Dfs box.

The Dfs name is the domain name if the Dfs tree is hosted on a primary domain controller or backup domain controller, and is a server name if the Dfs tree is hosted on a standalone server.


 Use the Dfs Path Map area to specify the name and Dfs path location of the new volume, as well as the network path of the shared directory that will serve as the volume.


Type the volume name for the new volume as an extension of a current volume in the tree. (For example, if you are creating the \\engineering\dfs\information\library volume, you would type library immediately after \\engineering\dfs\information.)


Enables you to browse the current structure of the Dfs tree, to select the volume which you want to be the parent volume of the new volume.


Type the complete network path of the shared folder you want to add as a Dfs volume. For example, you could type \\library\resources\engineering


Enables you to browse the network to find the shared folder you want to add as a Dfs volume.


Optionally type a comment about the volume here.


The Dfs Path Map area displays the volume name and path and the actual directory path(s) serving that volume.


Displays the path and name of the selected volume.


Displays the network path(s) serving as the volume’s storage. If there are alternate paths, click the down arrow to display them.


Change the comment for this volume by typing the new comment here.


Enables you to add an alternate path for this volume. Adding an alternate path means that two (or more) servers can serve as storage for this volume. This provides load balancing and fault tolerance, as clients can still access the volume even when one of the alternate path servers is down.


Removes the alternate path currently selected under Send the user to this network path from this volume. The volume’s other servers will continue to serve the volume.