Windows 2000 Distributed File system analysis and application

If your network has been running for a while, there is no doubt that your server hard disk will be full, usually it is time to clear the user no longer use the file. You can move rarely used files to offline storage, and in Windows 2000 you have another option when the server hard disk is full: You can build a Distributed File System (DFS) tree structure. Establishing a DFS tree structure can not only solve the problem of hard disk filling, but DFS can also enhance network security, efficiency and performance.

The DFS structure makes files and directories that are dispersed across multiple servers look as if they are on the same server. For example, suppose your users need to read files from a shared node in two different servers. You can make their operations easier by building a DFS tree structure that contains two different shared nodes. On this basis, users can read the DFS tree structure of a single shared node and need not know which server or shared node the file is actually hosted on.

Implementing a Dfs tree structure does make it easier for members of large organizations to work. However, in many organizations, the convenience of members ' work is without the right to pronounce. Most of the time, unless the implementation of new things in favor of network performance and security, otherwise the administrator is always simply ether busy for reasons not to do so. If you understand that building a DFS tree structure can enhance the security, reliability, and performance of your network. DFS, then, may be one of the best ways to solve these problems.

First, security strengthening

First, let's take a look at security. As I mentioned earlier, the DFS tree structure merges a single shared node into a tree structure, making it seem as if the user is operating on a shared resource that exists on a stand-alone server. These shared nodes are only logically binding-at the same time, each shared node is reserved on its own server as a separate shared node. DFS requires that any shared node that you use to construct portions of the DFS tree uses the NTFS security attribute. Therefore, regardless of whether the shared node is read independently or through a DFS tree structure, any security attributes of the independent shared node that you specify through NTFS work at the same time.

So, how does DFS enhance security, since existing security attributes still apply? Remember from the client side that all the files and folders in the Dfs tree appear to exist on a stand-alone server? This disguise makes it harder for hackers to track the actual location of a file. Of course, hackers will continue to explore the network and find the desired folder or file, but the longer he completes the item, the higher the risk of being caught. Many hackers get internal information from a member of the company. Since your users don't understand which server a shared file does operate with, disgruntled employees cannot tell the actual storage location of people's files and folders outside the organization.

Second, reliability

Now, let's look at the issues of security and fault tolerance. Implementing DFS Windows 2000 allows you to use replicas. In a Dfs tree structure, replicas are copies of folders that exist on a decentralized server that is synchronized with the original server. Therefore, it is possible to have two identifiable folders on different servers.

Once you have copied the folders, you can use them when the server is offline. Suppose you have a folder that a user reads frequently, and the file is stuck on a server that you want to do routine maintenance on the offline. Before disconnecting the server, you can change the source folder that points to the DFS tree structure to point to the folder copy. This allows the user to get a false impression that the server is still online because the files in the folder are still available in the same location as before. When the offline server is restored to the available state, the copy remains synchronized, and then you can refer to the DFS tree structure back to the source folder.

Third, performance

Copies can also be used to enhance server performance. You may know that if too many people try to read a single shared node, the performance of the server will be compromised. To compensate, you can apply frequently used folders and copies at the same time, so you can achieve a series of network Load Balancing. Users also read the folder through the Dfs tree structure, but the DFS tree structure connects them to the most recent copy of the folder, thus distributing the load and enhancing performance across the decentralized servers. For very busy shared nodes, you can spread the crossover across up to 32 distributed servers.

If I've already shown you the best of DFS, it's time to start configuring the DFS tree structure.

Iv. Installation of Dfs

You need to know something about DFS before you start setting up Dfs. First, the version of DFS in Windows 2000 can be implemented in two different ways. You can install DFS on the click of the server or on the server farm that belongs to the Active Directory domain. There are some limitations to clicking on version of the DFS operation, such as inability to read the Active Directory (obviously) so that no copies can be made, although some organizations may be doing this to enhance storage capabilities. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you construct a DFS tree structure that is based on an Active Directory. The remainder of this article assumes that you are installing the DFS tree structure of the Active Directory base.

DFS client software must be run before the client reads DFS. If your client is a Windows 2000 Professional or Windows NT 4.0 Workstation (Service Pack 3 or more), then you do not need other special software. It is said that Windows Me also contains this feature, but I am not sure. Windows 98SE (second edition) contains a DFS client program that can be used with the Windows NT 4 version of Dfs or stand-alone DFS tree structure. You can also download Active Directory Dfs (also known as a domain client) for Windows 95 and Windows 98 users. No other operating system supports the client's DFS structure.