Console and Terminal Services Access to Dfs Share Ignores Site Preference

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This article was previously published under Q274411

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SYMPTOMS

When you are connected to the console, or in a Terminal Services session, you may be referred to a distributed file system (Dfs) replicant even though the local Dfs share is a closer resource and a better choice.

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CAUSE

The Microsoft Windows NT Dfs enables Dfs-aware clients to access network resources in a single namespace with improved fault tolerance and load balancing.

Windows 2000-based clients that connect to a Windows 2000-based domain Dfs connection receive a site-ordered list of referrals with servers in the same site as the client displayed at the top of the referral list. Site-aware clients favor connections to servers in the same Active Directory site.

Dfs site preference to site-aware clients is ignored if Dfs shares have links that refer to servers that are located in more than one Active Directory site. This situation can occur under the following conditions:

You are accessing the Dfs root or link from the console of a Dfs server.
You are accessing the Dfs root or link over a Terminal Services session to a Terminal Services-enabled Dfs server. (This situation is a variation of the preceding condition.)

The access process to a Dfs share from the console of a Dfs server does not use the expected Active Directory site name of the Dfs client. Specifically, Dfs uses the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the client that is making the request to determine the client's site.

When the client has local access to the computer (Loopback mode), the IP address that is passed on to Dfs is not the real address of the computer. Given these situations, Dfs clients receive a randomized list of Dfs referrals that contain all members of the Dfs root or link, regardless of site preference.

The access to offsite referrals may cause dial-on-demand events, or consume excessive bandwidth if large amounts of data are accessed from offsite Dfs shares (such as a Group Policy-initiated installation of programs).

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RESOLUTION

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, submit a request to Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support)

Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language. The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

   Date        Time    Version        Size    File name
   -----------------------------------------------------
   11/10/2000  05:18a  5.0.2195.2694  90,384  Dfssvc.exe

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