# How to setup Windows DFS Share in your environment?

## Description

This document will walk you through the steps required to install Distributed File System in your environment.

## Table of contents

1. [What is DFS Share](#what-is-dfs-share)
2. [Steps to setup DFS Share in your network](#steps-to-setup-dfs-share-in-your-network)
   - [Enabling Server](#enabling-server)
   - [Configuring DFS Namespaces](#configuring-dfs-namespaces)
   - [Configuring DFS Replication Group](#configuring-dfs-replication-group)
   - [Configuring Software Repository using DFS in Endpoint Central](#configuring-software-repository-using-dfs-in-endpoint-central)

## What is DFS Share?

Distributed File System (DFS) is a file share replicated across multiple servers and locations to increase up-time and reduce access issues related to geography (latency and bandwidth).

Microsoft's Distributed File System is a role you can install on Windows Server to automatically synchronize files between servers. It gives you a unified namespace so you can always access files from the closest server. You can set it up for high availability of important files or efficient distribution of files, such as at branch offices.

## Steps to setup DFS Share in your network

### Enabling Server

1. Open Server Manager, click on **Manage -> Add Roles and Features**. This will open the add roles and features wizard.

![Navigation to selecting role-based or feature based installation from the Server Manager tool's Add Roles and Feature in Windows](https://cdn.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/1dfs_setup.png)

2. Click **Next** to start set up.
3. Select **role-based or feature based installation**.

![Selecting Installation type as Role-based or feature based installation from the Server Manager tool's Add Roles and Features Wizard](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/2dfs_setup.png)

4. Select the server.
5. The next section is **Server Roles** under **File and Storage Services**.
   - Check **DFS Namespaces** and **DFS Replication** both on this (your main) server.
   - When you go to check **Namespaces**, there will be a pop up that asks you if you would like to add features.
   - Click **Add Features**.

![Selecting Server roles from the Add Roles and Features Wizard](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/3dfs_setup.png)

6. Hit **Next** twice to confirm features and install.

Now, to setup site two, go through all the same steps for site one except step five in Server Roles. You only need to select **DFS Replication** and select **Add Features**. Do not need to select **DFS Namespaces**.

### Configuring DFS Namespaces

Next steps in setting up DFS on Windows Server will be to set up your Namespaces. Namespaces are used to call the shared file area that you are replicating.

To setup Namespaces:

1. Go to **DFS Management**.

![Navigating to Namespaces under DFS Management.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/1config_dfs.png)

2. Right click on **Namespaces** in the left panel and click **New Namespace**.

![Navigating to add new Namespaces.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/2config_dfs.png)

3. Enter the name of the server. Click **Next**.

![Entering the server's name that will host the namespace.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/3config_dfs.png)

4. Provide a name for the Namespace.
5. You can choose to edit the local path of the shared folder.

![Editing the local path of the shared folder](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/4config_dfs.png)

6. Choose either a **Domain-based** or **Stand-alone** Namespace.

![Choosing the type of namespace.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/5config_dfs.png)

7. Lastly, a summary will be displayed. Click **Create** to finish configuring your new Namespace.

![Confirmation window showing the summary for the newly created Namespace](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/6config_dfs.png)

### Configuring DFS Replication Group

**Note:** It is not mandatory to configure the replication group. In case the Replication Group is configured, the endpoints in the network will access the nearest server in the replication group.

To configure a DFS Replication Group:

1. In the DFS Management home window, right click on **New Replication Group**.

![Navigation to configure the DFS Replication Group under DFS Management](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/1dfs_replication_policy.png)

2. Provide the name of the replication group and click **Next**.

![Providing the name of the replication group.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/2dfs_replication_policy.png)

3. Add the servers to the replication group.

![Adding the servers to the replication group](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/3dfs_replication_policy.png)

4. In the next window, select **Full Mesh (recommended)**. This will ensure that anything on the first server will be on the other server and vice versa.

![Topology selection as Full mesh](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/4dfs_replication_policy.png)

5. Next, set the bandwidth. Consider your network traffic and set it accordingly.

![Setting the bandwidth](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/5dfs_replication_policy.png)

6. Select the primary server and then add a local path of a folder to replicate.

![Selecting the primary server and adding a local path of a forlder to replicate.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/6dfs_replication_policy.png)

7. Select **Permissions -> Custom Permissions**, to add groups and provide the necessary permissions. Click **Next** once the changes are made.

![Selecting the permissions.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/7dfs_replication_policy.png)

8. Double click on the servers listed to enable them for replicating.

![Selecting the servers to enable them for replicating.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/8dfs_replication_policy.png)

9. Click **Enable** and specify the path that needs to be synchronized with the server.

![Enabling and specifying the path that needs to be synchronized with the server](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/9dfs_replication_policy.png)

10. View the summary of your selections and click **Create**.

![Viewing the summary of the New Replication Group created.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/10dfs_replication_policy.png)

11. In your DFS Management Console, double click on your replication folder and go to the **Replicated Folder** tab.
12. The publication status will be displayed as **"Not Published"**. Right click on that and select **Share and Publish in Namespace**.
13. Click **Next** until you get to the Namespace path. Browse to the parent folder and name the folder.
14. A preview of the namespace path will be listed. Click **Next** to view the summary and click on **Share**.

You have now successfully finished setting up DFS on Windows Server.

### Configuring Software Repository using DFS in Endpoint Central

Endpoint Central can leverage DFS shares to replicate software packages to local field offices so that they can deploy quickly to local machines in that office. This decreases the installation time and reduces network pressure on the WAN network from the home office to the field site.

To configure DFS Share:

1. Login to the product web console.
2. Under **Software Deployment** tab, click on **Software Repository**.

![Navigating to Network Share in Software Repository in Endpoint Central.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/1dfs_sw.png)

3. Select **"Choose an Existing Share"** and provide the shared path of the DFS Share folder.

![Configuring the DFS shared folder path as the Network Share repository.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/2dfs_sw.png)

4. Click on **Save** to enable the changes.

You have now chosen DFS Share as your Network Share repository. When you create a package, you can choose the packages present in the DFS Share folder as shown below.

![Software packages present in the DFS Share.](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/images/dfs_package_creation.png)