How to Configure Dfs Root on a Windows 2000 Server Cluster

There is an advanced property in Windows 2000 for the Cluster File Share resource to define the share as a stand-alone Dfs root. This allows clients to access data stored on multiple systems with one \\VirtualServer\Share mapping that can be hosted by either of the nodes in the Windows 2000-based server cluster. If the node currently hosting the Dfs root stops working, the data is hosted by the other node.

Note that this is not the domain distributed file system (Dfs) root that uses Active Directory and supports automatic file replication. Therefore, root configurations are not automatically replicated outside the server cluster. If the data on replica links are leafs of the root, perform manual file replication by using an Xcopy script files.

If there are currently no DFS root resources configured for any of the nodes in the cluster, you can use the Configure Application Wizard to create the file share resource and the network name and IP address for the virtual server to host the file share.

NOTE: Cluster server can only host one DFS root. The Dfs root still has a dependency requirement of a network name resource, and if there is no tool for replicating files in a node's local disk, a disk resource. The Resource Creation Wizard prompts you to create the network name dependency if it is not already configured.

Prerequisites for Creating a Cluster Dfs Root

• The Cluster service must be installed and configured on Windows 2000 Advanced Server-based computers that are on the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) for clusters.
• There must not be a Dfs root already configured on any nodes in the server cluster. If there already is a Dfs root on either of the nodes in the server cluster, you cannot use Cluster Administrator or the following command to create a new file share as a Dfs root:
  cluster res "resname" /priv isdfsroot=1
  If you attempt to do so, you receive the following error message:
  Cluster Administrator Standard Extension:
  An error occurred attempting to set properties:
  A DFS root already exists in this cluster node.
  Error ID: 5088 (000013e0)
  To remove these, run Dfs Manager and delete the Dfs roots.
  
  For additional information about migrating the client node configuration, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  224508  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/224508/EN-US/ ) How to Migrate a Dfs Root Configuration to a Windows 2000 Cluster
• The folder on the cluster shared disks that is to be designated as the cluster Dfs root must exist. Cluster Administrator will not create the directory only the share. If you attempt to bring the file share resource online and the directory does not exist, the attempt does not succeed and the following error messages are logged in the System event log:
  Event ID: 1053
  Source: ClusSvc
  Description: Cluster File Share 'sharename' cannot be brought online because the share could not be created.
  
  Event ID: 1069
  Source: ClusSvc
  Description: Cluster resource 'sharename' failed.
  

Installation Steps

1. Run Cluster Administrator and determine which group contains the disk resource that has the volume containing the folder that will become the Dfs root.
2. Run the Application Configuration Wizard from the File menu, specifying the group you noted in step 1. Create a virtual server and IP address to be used for the share mapping.
3. After you specify the resource name, click Advanced Properties, and then click the Dependencies tab. You must select a network name resource, and you should select the disk resource that is hosting the folder being shared.
4. In the File Share properties for the share, specify the path and advanced properties indicating that it is a Dfs root.
5. Bring the new resource online.
6. Start Distributed File System from Administrative Tools on either of the server cluster nodes, and configure links and link replicas as needed.

The local Registry keys that are checkpointed are: For additional information about checkpointing, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Because the replication of local registry configuration information is not shared in real time between the nodes, Dfs Manager on the non-owning node does not see a new Dfs root configuration until the resource has been brought online on that node.

The Cluster Administrator configuration overrides changes that you make in Dfs Manager (such as deletion or creation of the Dfs root). If you delete the Dfs root in Dfs Manager, Cluster Administrator still sees the file share as a Dfs root and fails the file share. If the resource is set to restart on failure, it comes back online and re-creates the Dfs root configuration. One drawback is that the link information does not return. This is fully managed by Dfs Manager and is not built into the cluster replication that is not affected by Dfs Management.