DFS Replication Question

[samvara2k]

We have two servers: A and B.

ServerA is running W2K3 Server, Standard. It is a Workgroup computer.

ServerB is running W2K3 Server, Enterprise. It is a Domain Controller.
ServerA
is not a member of ServerB's domain.

ServerA has directly attached to it approx 5.6TB of storage
(Apple XRAID boxes), 1TB in use.

ServerB has the same XRAID storage configuration.

Both severs are in the same physical location and on the same subnet.

My assignment has been to backup selected folders from
ServerA to ServerB.

At the moment we don't have tape backup so I use the built-in Windows
backup program to backup the files. I am looking for an alternative to
using the
backup program. My goal is to keep the files on both severs up to date
so that
in case of a disk failure on ServerA I will be able recover
by restoring to it from ServerB.

We currently have a DFS share on ServerA and this share is now
mapped on ServerB. I would like to know if it is possible to continue
sharing the files
in this same way (Workgroup to DC) but also use DFS replication
from ServerA to ServerB? I'm hoping in doing so I can produce the same
effect as running backups requiring less overall maintenance? Is this
replication scenario possible (ServerA to B) and if so is it a
feasible substitute
to running backups? Thanks!

[Jill Zoeller [MSFT]]

Hi there, I have two questions for you:

What do you mean by "workgroup computer"? Does this mean that ServerA is not
part of a domain? Or are you saying that ServerA is a member server (as
opposed to a domain controller)?

If ServerA is part of a domain, is the domain in the same forest as ServerB?
--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Post by samvara2k
We have two servers: A and B.
ServerA is running W2K3 Server, Standard. It is a Workgroup computer.
ServerB is running W2K3 Server, Enterprise. It is a Domain Controller.
ServerA
is not a member of ServerB's domain.
ServerA has directly attached to it approx 5.6TB of storage
(Apple XRAID boxes), 1TB in use.
ServerB has the same XRAID storage configuration.
Both severs are in the same physical location and on the same subnet.
My assignment has been to backup selected folders from
ServerA to ServerB.
At the moment we don't have tape backup so I use the built-in Windows
backup program to backup the files. I am looking for an alternative to
using the
backup program. My goal is to keep the files on both severs up to date
so that
in case of a disk failure on ServerA I will be able recover
by restoring to it from ServerB.
We currently have a DFS share on ServerA and this share is now
mapped on ServerB. I would like to know if it is possible to continue
sharing the files
in this same way (Workgroup to DC) but also use DFS replication
from ServerA to ServerB? I'm hoping in doing so I can produce the same
effect as running backups requiring less overall maintenance? Is this
replication scenario possible (ServerA to B) and if so is it a
feasible substitute
to running backups? Thanks!

[samvara2k]

Hi, ServerA is a standalone server and not a member of ServerB's domain
or any other domain. Thanks.

[Jill Zoeller [MSFT]]

That's what I was afraid of. Both servers must be part of a domain within
the same forest. Both FRS and DFS Replication (the new replication engine in
Windows Server 2003 R2) share this requirement. Active Directory plays an
important role for both replicators (it's where the config info is stored),
which is why the domain requirement exists.

If you'd like details about FRS, see the FRS Technical Reference at
www.microsoft.com/frs.

[samvara2k]

Thanks for the link. So it seems that promoting ServerA to a DC is the
only way to accomplish what I am trying to do?

[Jill Zoeller [MSFT]]

No, it doesn't need to be a domain controller. It just needs to be a server
that is a member of a domain.