Microsoft KB Archive/199584

= Dfs Load Balancing Requires Alternates on Remote Servers =

Article ID: 199584

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q199584



SUMMARY
The Windows NT distributed file system (Dfs) allows Dfs-aware clients to access network resources in a single namespace with improved fault tolerance and load balancing.

Dfs support for servers running Windows NT 4.0 can be added by downloading Microsoft Distributed File System version 4.1 from the Microsoft Web site.

The following information applies to Dfs volumes hosted on servers running both Windows NT 4.0 and Distributed File System version 4.1.

The Dfs administration tools in Dfs 4.1 allow up to 32 alternate paths or replica members to be defined for each Dfs child node. Load balancing occurs when Dfs clients randomly select one alternate path from this list of servers holding the child node namespace.

For Dfs load balancing to function, the replica members that the child node namespace refers to must reside on computers other than the Dfs root.



MORE INFORMATION
When more than one alternate path exists for a volume, Dfs clients provide a degree of load balancing by randomizing the list of referrals that the Dfs root server returns. Ideally, client connections are evenly distributed among all alternate servers defined for a volume.

Windows NT 4.0 clients always give preference to alternates located on the Dfs root server. This client-side optimization reduces network traffic associated with name resolution and session establishment to another server.

Keywords: kbenv kbinfo KB199584

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