DFS Management

Updated: May 20, 2009

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:

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