Article ID: 905846
Article Last Modified on 10/11/2007
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP1, when used with:
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition for Itanium-Based Systems
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based Systems
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter x64 Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
SYMPTOMS
When you use a client computer to access a shared folder in a Distributed File System (DFS) namespace that is hosted on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1)-based computer, you may experience the following symptoms:
- The client computer may receive a referral that contains a list of DFS targets that are random or in non-optimal order in terms of the Active Directory site cost from DFS client to DFS target servers.
Note To verify whether the client computer is experiencing this problem, examine the referral that is received from the DFS server. The problem exists if the first DFS target server in the referral is not optimal from the perspective of the DFS client. - You may receive random SYSVOL or NETLOGON referrals from the DFS server when a DFS client tries to access scripts and policies that are stored in the SYSVOL or NETLOGON shared folders on domain controllers. This behavior may cause a longer than usual logon delay, because you are retrieving SYSVOL data from a remote site domain controller.
Note Domain controllers generate site-costed SYSVOL and NETLOGON referrals only if theSiteCostedReferralsregistry entry is added to the registry on all domain controllers, and the DFS service is restarted. When theSiteCostedReferralsregistry entry is not added, SYSVOL or NETLOGON referrals contains two sets of targets. The first set contains all the targets in the same site as the client. The second set contains all remaining targets. TheSiteCostedReferralsregistry entry is located in the following registry subkey:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dfs\Parameters - You may experience slow performance. You experience this symptom when you access a shared folder on a target DFS server that is located far away on a wide area network (WAN) and when network latencies are high.
- You may experience excessive bandwidth consumption by the client computer. You experience this symptom when you access large amount of data from a target DFS server whose site cost is high.
This problem may occur on a Windows Server 2003 domain controller or on a Windows Server 2003 member server that hosts a DFS namespace.
CAUSE
These problems occur because the DFS server receives an incorrect DFS client IP address from the SMB Service.
When a DFS server receives a referral request from a client, the DFS server uses the IP address of the client to determine the client’s site. The DFS server sorts the list of target servers in the referral response in terms of increasing site cost from the DFS client to the target server.
When the SMB Service server provides an incorrect DFS client IP address to the Windows Server 2003-based DFS server, the client receives a referral that contains a list of DFS targets that are random or in non-optimal order in terms of the Active Directory site cost from DFS client to DFS targets.
RESOLUTION
Service pack information
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows Server 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
889100 How to obtain the latest service pack for Windows Server 2003
Hotfix information
Important You must install this hotfix on the DFS server computer.
Prerequisites
To apply this hotfix, you must have Windows Server 2003 SP1 installed on the computer.
Note Windows Server 2003 SP1 is included in x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003.
Restart requirement
You must restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.
Hotfix replacement information
This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.
File information
The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.
Windows Server 2003, 32-bit versions with Service Pack 1
Date Time Version Size File name -------------------------------------------------------- 11-Aug-2005 01:12 5.2.3790.2506 360,448 Srv.sys
Windows Server 2003, 64-bit Itanium-based versions with Service Pack 1
Date Time Version Size File name Platform -------------------------------------------------------------------- 11-Aug-2005 05:57 5.2.3790.2506 1,108,992 Srv.sys
Windows Server 2003, x64-based versions
Date Time Version Size File name -------------------------------------------------------------- 11-Aug-2005 19:28 5.2.3790.2506 670,208 Srv.sys
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.
MORE INFORMATION
You can look up the DFS internal information on a client computer. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt:
dfsutil /PKTINFO
If a bad DFS referral is received by a client computer, the dfsutil /PKTINFO command displays an output that is similar to the following:
--mup.sys--
2 entries...
Entry: \domainname.company.com\DFSroot
ShortEntry: \domainname.company.com\DFSroot
Expires in 300 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x81 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS )
0:[\servername.domainname.company.com\DFSroot] State:0x19 ( ACTIVE )
1:[\servername2.domainname.company.com\DFSroot] State:0x09 ( )
Note In this example output, the first entry is “servername.domainname.company.com.”
You can find the non-optimal ordering from the referral cache. To do this, examine the first entry and verify whether this server is located in the client computer’s site or in a remote site. To view the remote server names, examine the network traces. You can view the remote server names in the referral response frame.
To verify random SYSVOL or NETLOGON referrals in the referral cache, verify whether the first domain controller that is listed in the referral cache is located in the client computer's site or in a remote site.
SMB: R transact2 NT Get DFS Referral (response to frame x)
Referrals
Referral
Version: 3
Size: 34
Server Type: SMB Server (1)
Flags: 0x0000
Proximity: 300
TTL: 0
Path Offset: 1054
Alt Path Offset: 1114
Node Offset: 1174
Path: \domainname.company.com\DFSroot
Alt Path: \domainname.company.com\DFSroot
Node: \servername.domainname.company.com\DFSroot <====== is this server in the client's site?
For more information about how to capture network traffic, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
812953 How to use Network Monitor to capture network traffic
REFERENCES
For more information about DFS and DFS site costing, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:
- DFS Technical Reference
- DFS Site Discovery and Target Selection
For more information about a related update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
831201 An update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server makes it possible to put the logon server at the top of the DFS referrals list
For more information about a hotfix that is available to support DFS Namespaces Client failback, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
898900 A hotfix is available to support the DFS Namespaces Client failback
For more information about the terminology that is used in this article, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates
Technical support for x64-based versions of Microsoft Windows
Your hardware manufacturer provides technical support and assistance for x64-based versions of Windows. Your hardware manufacturer provides support because an x64-based version of Windows was included with your hardware. Your hardware manufacturer might have customized the installation of Windows with unique components. Unique components might include specific device drivers or might include optional settings to maximize the performance of the hardware. Microsoft will provide reasonable-effort assistance if you need technical help with your x64-based version of Windows. However, you might have to contact your manufacturer directly. Your manufacturer is best qualified to support the software that your manufacturer installed on the hardware.
For product information about Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
For product information about x64-based versions of Microsoft Windows Server 2003, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Additional query words: Winx64 Windowsx64 64bit 64-bit
Keywords: kbtshoot kbbug kbfix kbqfe kbpubtypekc kbhotfixserver kbwinserv2003sp2fix KB905846
