How to install DFS in Windows Server 2012 R2
In this article, we’ll learn the steps to install DFS on Windows Server 2012 R2. A`Distributed File System (DFS) is used to organize distributed SMB file share into DFS Server i.e. with the help of DFS you can access share folders using a single UNC path.
In addition to that, we can even use Distributed file systems to replicate the files and folders on multiple servers. It would help to prevent the situations of single point of failure. Let’s understand it in detail, if you have a share folder on computer ABC, if it fails then all the data would be gone. You might consider an option to take the back but taking backup, storing backup and restoring backup could be tedious and lengthy process.
Another option is to use DFS, if you create a share folder on Computer ABC and another share folder on Computer XYZ. Distributed File system would help in replicate data between Server ABC and Server XYZ. In the future articles, we’ll talk about the steps to configuring DFS to access share folders and configure DFS to replicate data between multiple servers.
Steps to install Distributed File System(DFS) in Windows Server 2012 R2.
1. Open server manager.
2. On the dashboard, select “Add roles and features”.
3. This window will explain you about the importance of roles and features wizard.
4. Select the option “Role-based or feature-based installation”. Click next to continue.
5. Out of pool, select the server on which you want to install DFS. Click next to continue.
6. In the “Select server role” window, select DFS Namespaces role and DFS Replication . This would add additional features required for DFS. Click on “Add Features” to add all the dependent features automatically.
7. In the “select feature” window, all the dependent features are already selected. We don’t need to select any additional feature. Click next
8. Check the option “Restart the destination server automatically if required”, this would restart your Computer after role is successfully installed. Click on install to begin the installation process.
9. Installation progress can be reviewed in this window. You can even close this window, it would not interrupt the running task. Click close once the installation is completed.
10. Click on start and then click on down arrow to verify that DFS is installed.
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