topology- or location-based priority

[Rob Pettrey]

I have two sites that use a company-wide folder at the main location.

Users at the remote site are accessing the company folder across a T-1 and
it is very slow. I want the remote users accessing the files from their
remote server and the local users from the local server, with changes
synchronized.

I set up a replication folder with the first member on the local server and
the second member on the remote server. It works flawlessly, but doesn't
achieve my objective. When I open a document in the replicated folder, both
local and remote users open the local member copy and replicate to the remote
server.

It appears the members are selected in replication member order. It appears
that any priority I can assign is based on server name, not server location.
I don't want 'always use this server first'; I want, 'if you're here, use
this server first'.

Does anyone have a way to make the member selection location-based?

[Isaac Oben [MCITP:EA, MCSE]]

Hello Rob,
I am assuming that the local and remote sites are on different subnets

Option 1: If both your local and remote servers are domain controllers, then
you can try to edit registry key for each DC to include
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dfs "PreferLogonDC"
dword:value of 1. This should force users to look for dfs first from local
site

Option 2: You can enable insite referral, but the only problem with this is
that, the local site sever is down, then users will be left with no
referrals as opposed to the disable insite where clients can be rerouted to
next available referral.

Option 3: And if servers are not a domain controller, then the suggestion I
might say is that of using a script, maybe logon script, to
force users to use DFS shares based on their subnets.

Post by Rob Pettrey
I have two sites that use a company-wide folder at the main location.
Users at the remote site are accessing the company folder across a T-1 and
it is very slow. I want the remote users accessing the files from their
remote server and the local users from the local server, with changes
synchronized.
I set up a replication folder with the first member on the local server and
the second member on the remote server. It works flawlessly, but doesn't
achieve my objective. When I open a document in the replicated folder, both
local and remote users open the local member copy and replicate to the remote
server.
It appears the members are selected in replication member order. It appears
that any priority I can assign is based on server name, not server location.
I don't want 'always use this server first'; I want, 'if you're here, use
this server first'.
Does anyone have a way to make the member selection location-based?
--
Rob Pettrey
Microsoft Small Business Specialist

[Rob Pettrey]

Isaac,

Thanks for the reply!

I'm testing this using two 2008 VM's, so I can shut them down to test the
synchronizing and such, which works flawlessly.

I do have two domain controllers, one in each location, and they are in two
different subnets. They are master and slave. The remote DC is a 2008
Enterprise VM, and the local DC is unfortunately a SBS 2003 R2. (I'm trying
to share the SBS company folder.)

My understanding is I can't run DFS-R on it, even though it is R2. Is it
possible to do this? Or does it not make sense, based on the nature of the
box, already carrying Exchange, file services, DC, AD, etc.?

Can I run DFS on a SBS 2003 R2 box?

If not, I'll have to move the company folder to the local 2008 non-DC, set
DFS up to use the remote DC and the local 2008 non-DC, turn on the prefer
flag on the remote DC and see what happens. Unless you have a better
suggestion.

I like your other suggestion of forcing the local share. I just tested this:

\\domain.local\domain-files\domain-folder - domain replication folder
\\local\local-folder - local replication member
\\remote\remote-folder - remote replication member

I mapped w: to \\local\local-folder and x: to \\remote\remote-folder,
changed w:\test.doc and it replicated to x:. So far, so good!

So, in other words, it doesn't matter if I'm mapped either to the domain or
the member share, replication happens because of the existing DFS plumbing I
have already set up. I'll test and post my findings.
--
Rob Pettrey
Microsoft Small Business Specialist

Post by Isaac Oben [MCITP:EA, MCSE]
Hello Rob,
I am assuming that the local and remote sites are on different subnets
Option 1: If both your local and remote servers are domain controllers, then
you can try to edit registry key for each DC to include
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dfs "PreferLogonDC"
dword:value of 1. This should force users to look for dfs first from local
site
Option 2: You can enable insite referral, but the only problem with this is
that, the local site sever is down, then users will be left with no
referrals as opposed to the disable insite where clients can be rerouted to
next available referral.
Option 3: And if servers are not a domain controller, then the suggestion I
might say is that of using a script, maybe logon script, to
force users to use DFS shares based on their subnets.

Post by Rob Pettrey
I have two sites that use a company-wide folder at the main location.
Users at the remote site are accessing the company folder across a T-1 and
it is very slow. I want the remote users accessing the files from their
remote server and the local users from the local server, with changes
synchronized.
I set up a replication folder with the first member on the local server and
the second member on the remote server. It works flawlessly, but doesn't
achieve my objective. When I open a document in the replicated folder, both
local and remote users open the local member copy and replicate to the remote
server.
It appears the members are selected in replication member order. It appears
that any priority I can assign is based on server name, not server location.
I don't want 'always use this server first'; I want, 'if you're here, use
this server first'.
Does anyone have a way to make the member selection location-based?
--
Rob Pettrey
Microsoft Small Business Specialist

[Isaac Oben [MCITP:EA, MCSE]]

Hello Rob,
DFS replication (DFS-R) is not supported on the SBS 2003 R2. but you can set
up the DFS with the FRS (File Replication Service) for the replication
between SBS 2003 server and Windows Server 2003. but you will not benefit on
features such as Remote differential compression (RDC)

Post by Rob Pettrey
Isaac,
Thanks for the reply!
I'm testing this using two 2008 VM's, so I can shut them down to test the
synchronizing and such, which works flawlessly.
I do have two domain controllers, one in each location, and they are in two
different subnets. They are master and slave. The remote DC is a 2008
Enterprise VM, and the local DC is unfortunately a SBS 2003 R2. (I'm trying
to share the SBS company folder.)
My understanding is I can't run DFS-R on it, even though it is R2. Is it
possible to do this? Or does it not make sense, based on the nature of the
box, already carrying Exchange, file services, DC, AD, etc.?
Can I run DFS on a SBS 2003 R2 box?
If not, I'll have to move the company folder to the local 2008 non-DC, set
DFS up to use the remote DC and the local 2008 non-DC, turn on the prefer
flag on the remote DC and see what happens. Unless you have a better
suggestion.
\\domain.local\domain-files\domain-folder - domain replication folder
\\local\local-folder - local replication member
\\remote\remote-folder - remote replication member
I mapped w: to \\local\local-folder and x: to \\remote\remote-folder,
changed w:\test.doc and it replicated to x:. So far, so good!
So, in other words, it doesn't matter if I'm mapped either to the domain or
the member share, replication happens because of the existing DFS plumbing I
have already set up. I'll test and post my findings.
--
Rob Pettrey
Microsoft Small Business Specialist

Post by Isaac Oben [MCITP:EA, MCSE]
Hello Rob,
I am assuming that the local and remote sites are on different subnets
Option 1: If both your local and remote servers are domain controllers, then
you can try to edit registry key for each DC to include
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dfs "PreferLogonDC"
dword:value of 1. This should force users to look for dfs first from local
site
Option 2: You can enable insite referral, but the only problem with this is
that, the local site sever is down, then users will be left with no
referrals as opposed to the disable insite where clients can be rerouted to
next available referral.
Option 3: And if servers are not a domain controller, then the suggestion I
might say is that of using a script, maybe logon script, to
force users to use DFS shares based on their subnets.

Post by Rob Pettrey
I have two sites that use a company-wide folder at the main location.
Users at the remote site are accessing the company folder across a T-1 and
it is very slow. I want the remote users accessing the files from their
remote server and the local users from the local server, with changes
synchronized.
I set up a replication folder with the first member on the local server and
the second member on the remote server. It works flawlessly, but doesn't
achieve my objective. When I open a document in the replicated folder, both
local and remote users open the local member copy and replicate to the remote
server.
It appears the members are selected in replication member order. It appears
that any priority I can assign is based on server name, not server location.
I don't want 'always use this server first'; I want, 'if you're here, use
this server first'.
Does anyone have a way to make the member selection location-based?
--
Rob Pettrey
Microsoft Small Business Specialist