Windows Server : A simple DFS Migration Plan
I recently used the steps below to move DFS Name Spaces from one server to another without interruption to client connectivity.
- Install OS and configure the server that you will move the DFS namespaces to
- Create SMB shares on the server that you will host the DFS Namespaces from
- Replicate the data, either using DFS, RoboCopy or SecureCopy. For fairly static data the last two are fine, for data that changes more frequently I would choose DFS. Before proceeding make sure that all data is replicated.
- Add new server to DFS Namespace(s) that you have replicated the data for using the DFS Management Console
- Wait for AD DS replication to ensure that the additional server is listed on DFS clients (use dfsutil /pktinfo to verify)
- Set referral order override; configure the new server as “First amongst all targets” and the old server as “Last amongst all targets” using the DFS Management Console
- Again, wait for AD DS replication to ensure that the additional server is listed on DFS clients (use dfsutil /pktinfo to verify)
- If both DFS servers are Windows 2008 R2 then you can now disable the old server in the DFS Name Server list using the DFS Management Console, if one of the servers is running a previous version of windows not proceed to step 10.
- Wait for Ad DS replication, again checking with dfsutil /pktinfo
- Delete the old server from the Name Space(s) using the DFS Management Console