Configure DFS Namespace and Replication in Windows Server 2012

Nov 8, 2016

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Hello guys, here is a straight forward tutorial on ‘How To Install and Configure DFS Namespace and Replication in Windows Server 2012’.

Before you begin this Configuration Make sure both Server computers are part of the same domain network. One would be the DFS Namespace/Replication Server and the Other server would be the Member Replication Server.

Follow the steps below gently OR Watch VIDEO below

I have Configured a Server computer called DC1 as a Domain controller contoso.com
I would make it my main DFS Server with the steps below;

Step 1 – Go to Server Manager to Install the DFS Namespace & DFS Replication roles under the ‘File And Storage Services’ Drop-down

Step 2 – After the Installation is done. Go to the right top corner in Server Manager click ‘Tool‘ and select DFS Management (The Console opens up)

Step 3 – On the left pane, right-click on Namespace and click ‘New Namespace’

Enter the DFS Server name. E.g mine is ‘DC1’
Enter your preferred namespace name. E.g mine is ‘CompanyFiles’. So my DFS Namespace would be \\Contoso.com\CompanyFiles
Click on Edit Settings below on that same dialog box; and select ‘Administrators have full access; Other users have read and write permissions’
Go for ‘next’ and close.

Step 4 – Now go to the left pane and maximize the ‘Namespace tab‘ and right-click on the new namespace we created ‘\\Contoso.com\CompanyFiles’ and select ‘New Folder’
This would create a new folder in our namespace (you can create up to 50,000+ folders as you desire for your organization)

Step 5 – On the ‘New Folder’ Dialog box, give the name e.g Employee and go for OK.
We are done with the DFS Namespace creation.

So now we can access the DFS through any computer on our network. Just by typing in the ‘Run’ dialog box – \\contoso.com\CompanyFiles

Now to Configure the DFS Replication we need to prepare the second Server, mine is ‘DC2’
Make sure DC2 is a member of the domain and also has DFS Namespace and DFS Replication Installed.
NOTE: Do not configure DFS Namespace and DFS Repication again on DC2, just install the roles.

Step 6 – Now go to DC1 in the DFS Management, right-click Replication on the left pane and go for ‘New Replication Group’

Step 7 – Select ‘Multipurpose replication group’, go for next and type the name of your group. E.g Mine is CompanyFileReplication

Step 8 – Go for next and add your two servers. Mine is DC1 and DC2

Step 9 – Go for next and select ‘Full Mesh Topology‘

Step 10 – Go for next and select the ‘Full’ for bandwidth during replication.

Step 11 – Select your Primary Server to be DC1

Step 12 – Click add and select the folder to replicate (i would select my whole ‘CompanyFile’ folder)

Step 13 – Now click next and specify the Local path the file would be kept on ‘DC2’

Click Edit-> Enable -> Browse and select your preferred folder on DC2
Click OK after selecting it.
Click Next and Create.

Step 14 – Go to the left pane again, click on The Replication we just creatd, Mine is CompanyFileReplication. On the middle area of our DFS Management console, click in the Connection tab.

Step 15 – Right-click on DC1 and go for ‘Replicate Now’ and click OK.

We are Done!

Now we can access and create folders/files in the namespace we created, mine is \\Contoso.com\CompanyFiles from any computer on our network. By accessing the namesapace thought the run dialog box.