I'm trying to set up DFS Replication for our Public drive on a server named fileserver01, which is part of our DFS Namespace located at \domain.comDFSSharePublic. My goal is to share a couple of folders from this Public drive with another server, ankserv01, that's at a different location. I've already installed all the necessary DFS Namespace and Replication features using Server Manager. I want the users on ankserv01 to seamlessly access these folders as if nothing has changed, with files being replicated in the background.
So far, I've come across an error when attempting to publish the replicated folders in the DFS Namespace (you can see the details in the error screenshot I linked). I've ensured that the permissions are set correctly and that the systems on both servers have the SeSecurityPrivilege. Surprisingly, I've managed to create a replication group outside of the namespace, but I still run into issues when trying to publish it in the namespace. I've spent a week trying to troubleshoot this, and I'm at a loss. Any suggestions or similar experiences?
2 Answers
It looks like you've got the basics covered, but there are a few things you might want to check. First, ensure that both fileserver01 and ankserv01 have Full Control permissions on the DFS Namespace. You can check this in the DFS Management Console by right-clicking the namespace, selecting Properties, and then the Permissions tab. Also, when you create the folder in the namespace, confirm the folder targets match the replication group members, as sometimes manually created groups don’t auto-link. Finally, don’t forget to check the Event Viewer for any replication or namespace errors. Sometimes, Firewall settings or RPC ports being blocked could also be causing the issue. If you still hit snags, consider recreating the namespace after removing the folder to start fresh.
Just a heads-up, DFS Replication doesn’t sync file locks. This means if a file is opened by someone in site1 and a different user in site2 opens the same file, they could overwrite changes depending on who saves last. Just make sure that the folders you’re replicating won’t have this issue. It sounds like your IT Software Folder should be okay, but just something to keep in mind for future setups!
That’s good to know! I’ll keep that in mind while setting things up.
Thanks for the advice! I'll try checking the namespace permissions and see if that helps.