Distributed File System

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

This topic is an updated version of the Help content for Distributed File System in Windows Server® 2008, including overview information and links to procedures for installing and using DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication. For the latest information, see DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication overview.
Distributed File System is implemented as a role service of the File Services role and consists of the following role services:

• DFS Namespaces
  
• DFS Replication
  

To manage DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication, you can use the DFS Management snap-in hosted by Server Manager, or you can use the DFS Management snap-in from the Administrative Tools folder. Or you can use command prompt tools, as discussed later in this topic.
To manage Distributed File System from a command prompt you can use the DfsUtil, DfsCmd, DfsrAdmin, and DfsrDiag commands or write scripts that use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI).
For more information about DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication, see the following topics:

• Installing DFS Management
  
  
• Namespaces
  
  
• Replication
  
  
• Resources for DFS Management
  
  

Managing DFS from a Command Prompt

To manage Distributed File System from a command prompt, you can use the commands listed in the following table, or write scripts that use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI).

 

Command	Description
DfsUtil	Manages DFS namespaces, server and client computers.
DfsCmd	Configures DFS folders and folder targets in a DFS namespace.
DfsDiag	Performs diagnostics tests of DFS Namespaces.
DfsrAdmin	Manages DFS Replication replicated folders.
DfsrDiag	Performs diagnostic tests of DFS Replication.

Additional references

• What's New in Distributed File System in Windows Server 2008 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=92839)
  
• SYSVOL Replication Migration Guide: FRS to DFS Replication (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93057)