Microsoft KB Archive/259281

= Folders Are Created Once an Hour If FRS Is Enabled in a DFS Root =

PSS ID Number: 259281

Article Last Modified on 10/28/2003

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

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This article was previously published under Q259281



SYMPTOMS
Multiple redundant folders may appear in the root of a Distributed File System (DFS) share if the File Replication service (FRS) is enabled at the DFS root.



CAUSE
When the domain DFS creates a new link at the root of a DFS share, it creates an empty folder for that link on each DFS alternate. If FRS is enabled at the DFS root, it replicates the creation of this folder. The code to create this folder is run on each DFS alternate. In addition, this code periodically polls the directory service for any configuration changes once per hour; as part of this action the code automatically re-creates these link folders by first deleting any existing file or folder with the associated name and then creating a new folder. FRS recognizes that this has occurred and replicates the folder creation to the other alternates, where it finds a pre-existing folder of the same name, also created by DFS. FRS handles this folder-name conflict by appending a suffix of the form NTFRS_ to the end of one of the folders and then finishes the replication action.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:   Date        Time    Size    File name -  04/21/2000  04:01p  74,032  Dfs.sys



WORKAROUND
To avoid the automatic creation of redundant folders without applying this fix, do not set up replication at the root of a DFS share. Instead, create alternates at the link level and enable FRS for those alternates.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Windows 2000.



MORE INFORMATION
This fix, by itself, does not eliminate all causes of duplicate folder-name creation. In particular, with only this fix applied, one additional duplicate folder will be created each time a new link is created in the DFS root. To resolve this remaining problem, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

265365 FRS Creates Unneeded Folders in DFS Root Alternates

For additional information about how to install Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 hotfixes at the same time, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

249149 Installing Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Hotfixes

Additional query words: FRS NTFRS directory directories

Keywords: kbbug kbfix kbQFE kbWin2000PreSP2Fix KB259281

Technology: kbwin2000AdvServ kbwin2000AdvServSearch kbwin2000Search kbwin2000Serv kbwin2000ServSearch kbWinAdvServSearch

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