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Deployment Console, Part 4: Configuring Microsoft DFS for Deployment Server File Synchronisation 

Dec 01, 2008 02:04 PM

In this fourth article we are going to configure Microsoft DFS (Microsoft Distributed File System) to synchronize our data and software over the Deployment Solution servers. With DFS we can synchronize only the new or changed data. It will increase our bandwidth usage tremendously.

File system synchronization is a process that keeps all files in sync with each other. All files on one location will be the same on the other locations. This can be a one way or a two way process.

In this article I will set it up as a one way synchronization from the head office server to the site servers. In the example it will be one site server, but you can do this to as many as you like. There are no limits.

Make sure you understand what it does before you install and configure it. When you do this the wrong way around, you may have to install everything again. Or you can make a backup of the files that you have installed in your deployment console.

Also it is wise to make a backup of your Active Directory. In this article we change our Active Directory schema, and we have no ability to undo it.

I will perform all actions on a VM machine, and if something goes wrong I can delete the machine and use the backup VM to get started again.

Follow the steps below to get the best results.

Step 1. Prepare the Active Directory for the usage of DFS.

To use DFS replication we need to update the Active Directory Schema with some new classes and attributes. To upgrade the AD we go to the Active Directory server, and we run the command: adprep.exe /forestprep. The executable for adprep cann be found on the second disc of Windows 2003 server.

The path to the location on the disc is CMPNENTS\R2\ADPREP. In this folder you also find the schema's you need.

Give in the command.

Now you type C and enter. The schema will now be updated. This happens so quick, you don't even notice it.

Step 2. To install Distributed File System using Manage Your Server

Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Manage Your Server.

Click Add or remove a role.

In the Configure Your Server Wizard, click Next. On the Server Role page, click File Server, and then click Next. Click Next again.

In the Add File Server Role Wizard, click Next, and then click Replicate data to and from this server. Follow the steps in the wizard to complete the installation. You will be asked to restart the server when the installation is complete.

Step 3. Use the following procedure to install the DFS Management snap-in, the DFS Replication service, or both, without installing the File Server role.

To install Distributed File System using Add or Remove Programs

In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.

Click Add/Remove Windows Components, highlight Distributed File System, and then click Details.

Do one of the following:

To install the Distributed File System management tools without installing the DFS Replication service, click DFS Management.

To install the DFS Replication service without installing the management tools, click DFS Replication Service.

To install both, select both.

Now you are ready to create your namespace.

Step 4. Configure the name space to contain the data.

Go to Start, Programs, Administrative tools and start Distributed File System.

Click on Distributed File System in the left and select new root.

The wizard will start and help you through the steps.

Click Next to continue.

Select Domain Root to make sure the DFS file space is accessible by all servers and that the settings are stored in the Active Directory.

Click Next to continue.

Click Next to continue.

Give in the server name of the head Deployment Solution server.

Click Next to continue.

Give in the name that you like for the namespace and give in something in the comments field.

I name it express, and the property is Altiris DS namespace.

Click Next to continue.

Now select the folder you need to share. I select the folder that is usually mapped as eXpress share. You may create a folder inside the eXpress share where you place the software that you want to synchronize. That will prevent the server from synchronizing everything that belongs to the Deployment Solution installation. In that case you need to be sure to place all software, scripts and tools inside that folder. If you install HII tools for instance, they are located somewhere else, and then you have to setup two folders or more to synchronize.

Click Next to continue.

The wizard is finished. Click Finish to close the wizard.

If you get an error message, you have to start the DFS service. Occasionally the DFS service is set to manual. If this is the case, set it to Automatic, and start the service. That will make sure that the service is always started. On the remote server you have to do this also.

Now that the name space is built we have to publish it.

Select the root and click with the right mouse button and select properties.

Go to the TAB Publish.

Check the Publish this root in Active Directory button, and give in a description.

Click OK.

Step 5. Configure the second namespace

In this next step we are going to configure the second namespace.

Go to action and select New Root Target.

Select the server name that you want to replicate to and click Next to continue.

Select the location where the files are located on the remote server.

Now you see that the server is configured. Click finish to exit the wizard.

Step 6. Setup replication

Go to Actions and select Configure Replication.

The Configure Replication Wizard opens.

Click Next to continue.

In the wizard you see the two shared sources. Select the server that you want as the initial master share. In our situation this server is the head office server. This server contains all the files needed for our Deployment Solution to work.

When you click on the button staging, you can give a different path where you'd like to store the replication directory.

Click Next to continue.

Select the topology you want to use. It's a long time ago I saw this. It's something from a far past. I select the option Custom because I want to use it over a Wan. After the wizard finishes you will be able to do this customization for the actions you will perform.

Now you see the error message. This is the final step in our configuration.

It will take a long time now, because all files are now copied to the staging directory on the head server and on the remote site server. If you do this during the day it will take a lot of bandwidth.

Step 7. Finalize the replication.

To finalize the replication we click on the root link with the right mouse button and select properties.

Now we customize the Topology by clicking on the button Customize.

Click on New.

First select the from server and then the server that you like to connect with.

If you have more servers, you may do this several times. Always set them up by using the head Office server as the from server and the other server as the server that you like to synchronize with.

Click OK to finish the wizard.

Click OK to finish.

Now the last thing you may do is build excludes for some of the file types. Be careful with this, because our share contains installation data, and the excludes can disable certain file types that will prevent the installations from being success fully done.

Our replication between the two servers is now done.

One of the biggest benefits of DFS is that it will replicate only when there is bandwidth available. So if your users are using a lot of bandwidth, the replication will slow down. Also it only replicates changes. So if you alter an ini file in an installation, only the ini file will replicate instead of the whole installation directory.

The next article will show you how to implement Hardware Independent Image, HII on our deployment server. With HII we are going to build two images. The first is a Hardware independent Vista Image and the second is a Hardware Independent XP image. Make sure that the driver files that are built are replicated to all the other servers.

Deployment Console, Part 3: Configure Your Multisite PXE Environment

Deployment Console, Part 5: Install HII Tools and Configure Them for a Multi Site Environment
 

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Comments

Jan 09, 2009 05:12 AM

Hi, DFS can be a problem... e.g. If using NAS. We have also customers using scripting to push replica & script to map a fixed drive in the Linux preboot, depending the IP location and a referential site XML table. Also some using DFS for unique naming facility, and using manual replication. We can also, use Altiris Package Server mechanism to update a DFS replica, or a NAS using an attached client... Also server less locations can use a "cache" in WAN acceleration boxes we provide...
. Well a lot of possibilities, depending the context.

Dec 02, 2008 08:49 AM

Just something you might want to keep in mind when using a DFS. Your servers need to be at least 2003 or higher to get the full use of the DFS. I believe it is either the DHCP, DNS or the AD servers all need to be 2003 or higher to use the DFS replication (I do not know for sure which server needs to be at least 2003). Another problem you may run into while using the DFS is using PXE and initial deploy. You can not map to a DFS share in the Linux PXE and I have not tested mapping in the WinPE PXE. I have found a work around of using a specified password to map the correct dfs shares at each site. To add a password you will need to modify the mounts.local file for the Linux PXE. We used a basic user prompt to get input and if then else statements to figure out which drives to map depending on the password (user input).

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