Title: Chapter 10: Managing the Distributed File System, Disk Quotas, and Software Installation
1Chapter 10Managing the Distributed File System,
Disk Quotas, and Software Installation
2Learning Objectives
- Design, configure, and manage the Distributed
File System on a network - Publish a shared folder and a Distributed File
System shared folder in the Active Directory - Enable and configure disk quotas
3Learning Objectives (continued)
- Install and manage application software
- Edit and configure the Windows 2000 Server
Registry - Set up and use the Microsoft License Manager
4Distributed File System
- Distributed File System (Dfs) A system that
enables folders shared from multiple computers to
appear as though they exist in one centralized
hierarchy of folders instead of on many different
computers
5Advantages of DFS
- Shared folders can be set up so that they appear
in one hierarchy of folders - NTFS access permissions can be used
- Dfs offers fault tolerance alternatives
- Dfs enables load balancing for better server
performance - Web-based access is improved
- Vital shared folders on multiple computers can be
backed up from one set of master folders
6Planning Tip
- Implement Dfs on an NTFS volume to take advantage
of access permissions, special permissions, and
auditing
7Troubleshooting Tip
- If you are running in mixed mode and Dfs does not
work on the Windows NT Server 4.0 servers,
install the latest service pack for Windows NT
Server 4.0 (Dfs is implemented in service pack 3)
8Dfs Models
- There are two Dfs models
- Standalone does not take advantage of the
Active Directory and provides a flat level share
(no hierarchies under the root) - Domain-based uses the Active Directory and
offers a deep hierarchical folder arrangement
9Domain-Based Topology
- Dfs root The main Active Directory container
that holds Dfs links to shared folders in a
domain - Dfs link A path that is established between a
shared folder in a domain and a Dfs root - Replica set A grouping of shared folders in a
Dfs root that are replicated or copied to all
servers that participate in Dfs replication
10Dfs Links in a Dfs Root
Figure 10-1 Dfs links in the Dfs root container
11Planning a Dfs Implementation
- Determine whether to use a standalone or
domain-based model - Place Dfs shared folders on NTFS formatted disks,
if possible - Use multiple Dfs roots to reflect particular
arrangements of information and security needs - Save MMC changes when managing Dfs
12Planning a Dfs Implementation(continued)
- Set up a short cache timeout on folders in which
the contents change often - Determine the impact of Dfs on network traffic
- Create the first Dfs root and associated links
before creating additional roots - Develop a synchronization schedule that helps
minimize network traffic - Regularly review and purge Dfs folders that are
no longer needed
13Configuring Dfs
- Configure Dfs using the Distributed file System
management tool - Start the tool by
- Accessing it from the Administrative Tools menu
- Or access it as an MMC snap-in
14Configuring the Standalone Dfs Model
Figure 10-2 Specifying the standalone model
15Creating a Dfs Root Share
Figure 10-3 Creating a new Dfs share
16Troubleshooting Tip
- If you attempt to create a standalone root on a
server, and see the error message, This server
already hosts a Dfs root, this means that you
cannot create an additional Dfs root on that
server because one already exists, and a host
server can have only one
17 Using the MMC to Access a New Root
Figure 10-4 Viewing a new Dfs shared folder in
the MMC console
18Configuring the Domain-Based Dfs Model
- Create a domain-based Dfs root using the
Distributed file system management tool
19Associating the Domain with Dfs
Figure 10-5 Entering the domain name
20Tasks in Managing a Domain-Based Dfs Root System
- Deleting a Dfs root
- Adding and removing a Dfs link
- Adding root and link replica sets
- Configuring security
- Checking the status of a root or link
21Deleting a Dfs Root
- The steps to delete a Dfs root are
- Warn users in advance
- Open the Distributed File System management tool
- Right-click the root in the tree
- Click Delete Dfs Root
- Click Yes
22Adding a Dfs Link
- The steps to add a Dfs link are
- Open the Distributed File System management tool
- Right-click the root
- Click New Dfs Link
- Enter the name for the link
- Set the cache timeout
- Click Ok
23Setting Up a Link
Figure 10-6 Creating a Dfs link
24Root Replicas
- Create a root replica to provide a backup of the
master root system and to balance the load when
access to the master root becomes heavy - Load balancing via root replicas improves network
performance and user productivity, because users
dont have to wait for the resources that they
need
25Replicating Links
- Designated links can be replicated as well as
roots for fault tolerance and load balancing
26Configuring a Link
- To configure a link using the Distributed File
System management tool - Right-click the Dfs link to replicate and click
New - Enter the computer name and shared folder on the
computer to house the replica - Select the replication method, Manual or
Automatic, and click OK - For automatic replication, set the the
replication policy and click OK
27Configuring the Type of Replication
Figure 10-7 Adding a new replica for a Dfs link
28Configuring the Replication Policy
Figure 10-8 Configuring replication policy
29Configuring the File Replication Service
- Make sure that the File Replication Service is
started and configured to start automatically - Use the Computer Management tool or the Services
tool on the Administrative Tools menu to
configure services
30Dfs Root Permissions
- Full Control Can change permissions, take
ownership, create, delete, modify and manage Dfs
shared files and folders plus delete trees and
subtrees in the folder structure - Read Can list and read the contents of shared
files and folders - Write Can modify the contents of shared files
and folders
31Troubleshooting a Problem with a Root or Link
- The most common problem is that a root, link, or
replica is not accessible, such as when the
computer on which it resides is down - Use the Check Status option to locate a problem
and look for a red circle with a white x that
indicates a particular computer is down
32Checking the Status of Dfs
Figure 10-9 Checking the status of replicas in a
link
33Publishing a Shared Folder
- When the Active Directory is implemented, plan to
publish regular shared folders and Dfs root
folders
34Steps for Publishing a Folder
- To publish a folder
- Open the Active Directory Users and Computers
tool - Right-click the domain
- Point to New and click Shared Folder
- Enter the name for the published folder
- Enter the path to the shared folder or Dfs root
and click OK
35Publishing a Folder
Figure 10-10 Publishing a shared folder
36Disk Quotas
- Use the Windows 2000 disk quota capability to
- Prevent users from filling the disk capacity
- Encourage users to play their part in managing
disk space by cleaning up old or unused files - Track disk capacity needs for future planning
- Provide server administrators information about
when users are nearing or have reached their disk
quotas
37Planning Tip
- If possible, establish quotas before making
shared folders available to users, because it is
politically harder to impose the limits after
users are accustomed to having none
38Disk Quota Parameters
- Enable quota management Sets up quota management
and starts tracking disk usage - Deny disk space to users exceeding quota limits
Users cant write new information after reaching
their quotas - Do not limit disk usage Tracks disk usage
without imposing quotas - Limit disk space to Sets the default amount of
disk space for all users
39Disk Quota Parameters (continued)
- Set warning level to Sets the default disk space
that users can occupy that will trigger a warning
message - Log event when a user exceeds their quota limit
An event is entered in the System log when a user
reaches his or her quota - Log event when the user exceeds the warning
level An event is entered in the System log when
a user receives a warning that he or she is
approaching the quota
40Configuring a Default Disk Quota
Figure 10-11 Setting default disk quotas
41Disk Quotas for Specific Users
- Besides setting default disk quotas for all
users, you can set individual quotas for certain
users
42Setting a Quota for a User
Figure 10-12 Setting a disk quota on a
designated user account
43Managing Disk Quotas
- Managing disk quotas
- Modify the default or specific user quotas as
needed - Delete quotas that are no longer needed
- Import disk quota statistics into a spreadsheet,
database, or word-processed file as needed to
track them over time
44Deleting a Disk Quota
Figure 10-13 Deleting a disk quota on an account
45Issues to Consider Before Installing Application
Software
- Software licensing
- Network compatibility
- Temporary files
- Network performance
- Software testing
- Loading software from the network
46Installing Software
- Use the Add/Remove Programs tool to install or
remove application software
47Using the Add/Remove Programs Tool
Figure 10-14 Installing application software
48Using the Add/Remove Programs Tool (continued)
Figure 10-15 Providing the path to the setup
program
49Running Software Applications
- Software applications run in the user mode
- User mode A special operating mode in Windows
2000 used for running programs in a memory area
kept separate from that used by the kernel and in
which the program cannot directly access the
kernel or operating system services except
through an API
50Application Programming Interface
- Application Programming Interface (API)
Functions or programming features in Windows 2000
Server that programmers can use for network
links, links to messaging services, or interfaces
to other systems
51Windows 2000 Server Registry
- Sample elements in the Registry
- Information about all hardware components
- Information about Windows 2000 services
- Data about user profiles and group policies
- Data on the last current and last known setup
used to boot the computer - Configuration information for all software
- Software licensing information
- Control Panel parameter configurations
52Elements of the Registry
- Key A category of information contained in the
Windows 2000 Registry, such as hardware or
software - Subkey A key within a Registry key, similar to a
subfolder under a folder - Value A data parameter in the Registry stored as
a value in decimal, binary, or text format
53Root Key Defined
- Root key Also called a subtree, the highest
category of data contained in the Registry. There
are five root keys.
54Windows 2000 Server Root Keys
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Contains in particular
information about hardware components and
drivers, software installed, system information,
and security - HKEY_CURRENT_USER Contains information about the
user profile for the account currently logged
onto the console
55Windows 2000 Server Root Keys (continued)
- HKEY_USERS Contains all of the user profiles
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Contains data to associate
file extensions with programs - HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG Contains information about
the current hardware profile
56Example Contents of a Root Key
Figure 10-16 The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE root key
57Editing the Registry
- Edit the Registry using one of two editors
- Regedt32 a more modern 32-bit editor
- Regedit an older editor preferred by some
administrators
58Editing the HKEY_CURRENT_USER key
Figure 10-17 Changing Registry data for file
associations
59Troubleshooting Tip
- Only make changes to the Registry when you are
absolutely certain about what you are doing, or
you may end up with a system the will not boot
60License Manager
- Use the License Manager to configure server
licenses, add more licenses, manage Microsoft
Backoffice software licenses, and track license
usage
61Configuring Licenses with License Manager
Figure 10-18 Adding new licenses
62Chapter Summary
- The Distributed File System (Dfs) is designed to
make it easier for users to access multiple
shared folders on multiple servers - Dfs can be implemented using the standalone or
domain-based model - Dfs not only can make users more productive, but
it offers fault tolerance and load balancing
63Chapter Summary
- Disk quotas make it possible to
- Obtain statistics for disk capacity planning
- Place limits on the amount of disk space that all
users or individual users occupy - Use the Add/Remove Programs tool to install,
upgrade, and remove application software
64Chapter Summary
- The Windows 2000 Server Registry houses vital
system, hardware, software, user, and security
information - Plan to use the Microsoft License Manager to
track current licenses, install new licenses, and
determine when more licenses are needed