RE: DFSR on SBS

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Hello Customer,

Thank you for posting here.

According to your description, I understand that you want to whether you
can install DFSR on SBS. If I have misunderstood the problem, please don't
hesitate to let me know.

Based on my research, DFSR should be a feature of Windows Server 2003 R2.
But about whether we can install it on SBS, I have to do some further
research. I will give you some update later.

What is DFSR?
The Distributed File System Replication (DFSR) service is a new
multi-master replication engine that is used to keep folders synchronized
on multiple servers.

Replicating data to multiple servers increases data availability and gives
users in remote sites fast, reliable access to files. DFSR uses a new
compression algorithm called Remote Differential Compression (RDC). RDC is
a "diff over the wire" protocol that can be used to efficiently update
files over a limited-bandwidth network. RDC detects insertions, removals,
and rearrangements of data in files, enabling DFSR to replicate only the
deltas (changes) when files are updated.

The DFSR service uses RPC to communicate between servers. It replicates a
folder scope defined by the replicated folder path. The set of computers
participating in replication is defined by a configured topology of
connections and is called a replication group. Multiple replicated folders
can be included in a replication group, with memberships selectively
enabling or disabling specific replicated folders. The DFSR service uses
WMI to configure server-wide parameters, while global parameters and
certain replicated folder-specific parameters are configured using Active
Directory. DFSR also uses WMI to expose monitoring information regarding
specific objects such as replicated folders and connections.

SBS 2003 is based on Windows Server 2003 standard edition, so the DFS
feature in SBS 2003 is the same as it in Windows Server 2003. However,
there are some updates on DFS feature in SBSR2 and these do not apply if
Windows Server 2003 R2 is working with Windows Server 2003/SBS 2003.

Some questions and answers for DFSR:

Question: Is it correct that DFS Namespace can be successfully utilized
with at least one of the OS's being Server2003R2 and the remaining being at
least Server2003SP1?

Answer: As I mentioned above, some new DFS feature in Windows Server 2003
R2 will not work with Windows Server 2003 and SBS 2003. However, the
original DFS is still working. From the perspective of DFS, the Windows
Server 2003 R2 is working as a Windows Server 2003.

Question: I see that Cross-file RDC is available only if one of the servers
(in a replicating pair of servers) is running Windows Server 2003 R2,
Enterprise Edition; Windows Server 2003 R2, Datacenter Edition; or Windows?
Storage Server R2, Enterprise Edition. I am curious as to a scenario
wherein none of these OS's are in place.(like the scenario in the previous
question).....does the DFS Namespaces capability suffer (other than for new
file creation)?

Answer: Cross File RDC is a new feature of Windows Server 2003 R2 and it
only work if all the DFS targets are Windows Server 2003 R2. As in your
situation that there is SBS 2003, Cross-File RDC will not be available and
DFS will work as it is in Windows Server 2003.

Question: MS Article ID 898900 regarding DFS Namespaces Client failback
feature does not apply to SBS2003, but does apply to the underlying Server
2003 SP1 platform......I want to be aware of any known issues if applied to
the SBS2003SP1 box.

Answer: SBS 2003 is based on Windows Server 2003 standard edition. So this
update applies to SBS 2003. There is no problem when applying DFS on SBS
2003 because it is based on Windows Server 2003 standard edition

Useful articles about this issue:
DFS Technical Reference
http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/20ffb860-f802-455c-9c
a2-5194f79a9eb41033.mspx

How DFS Works
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/library/TechR
ef/a9096e88-1634-4da6-b820-537341d34906.mspx

Configuring DFSR
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa379438.aspx

Hope these steps will give you some help.

Thanks and have a nice day!

Best regards,

Terence Liu(MSFT)

Microsoft CSS Online Newsgroup Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

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--------------------
| From: "badamsios" <brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs
| Subject: DFSR on SBS
| Date: 31 Jan 2007 11:32:42 -0800
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| Can DFSR be installed on SBS?
|
| If so how, I'm not seeing it.
|
|

.

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