Migrate a Domain-based Namespace to Windows Server 2008 Mode

Updated: May 20, 2009

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

The Windows Server 2008 mode for domain-based namespaces includes support for access-based enumeration and increased scalability.

To migrate a domain-based namespace from Windows 2000 Server mode to Windows Server 2008 mode, you must export the namespace to a file, delete the namespace, recreate it in Windows Server 2008 mode, and then import the namespace settings. To do so, use the following procedure

To migrate a domain-based namespace to Windows Server 2008 mode

  1. Open a Command Prompt window and type the following command to export the namespace to a file, where \\domain\namespace is the name of the appropriate domain and namespace and path\filename is the path and file name of the export file:

    Dfsutil root export \\domain\namespace path\filename.xml 
    
  2. Write down the path (\\server\share) for each namespace server. You must manually add namespace servers to the recreated namespace because Dfsutil cannot import namespace servers.

  3. In DFS Management, right-click the namespace and then click Delete, or type the following command at a command prompt, where \\domain\namespace is the name of the appropriate domain and namespace:

    Dfsutil root remove \\domain\namespace
    
  4. In DFS Management, recreate the namespace with the same name, but use the Windows Server 2008 mode, or type the following command at a command prompt, where \\server\namespace is the name of the appropriate server and share for the namespace root:

    Dfsutil root adddom \\server\namespace v2
    
  5. To import the namespace from the export file, type the following command at a command prompt, where \\domain\namespace is the name of the appropriate domain and namespace and path\filename is the path and file name of the file to import:

    Dfsutil root import merge path\filename.xml \\domain\namespace
    

Note

To minimize the time that is required to import a large namespace, run the Dfsutil root import command locally on a namespace server.

  1. Add any remaining namespace servers to the recreated namespace by right-clicking the namespace in DFS Management and then clicking Add Namespace Server, or by typing the following command at a command prompt, where \\server\share is the name of the appropriate server and share for the namespace root:

    Dfsutil target add \\server\share 
    

Note

You can add namespace servers before importing the namespace, but doing so causes the namespace servers to incrementally download the metadata for the namespace instead of immediately downloading the entire namespace after being added as a namespace server.

Additional references