FRS Tools and Settings
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
In this section
FRS Tools
FRS Registry Entries
Network Ports Used by FRS
FRS Tools
The following tools are associated with File Replication service (FRS).
Connstat.cmd: FRS Connection Status Report
Category
Windows Support Tools for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Version compatibility
Runs on and collects information from servers running Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003. Requires PERL 5.005 521e or 522e on the server where ConnStat is running.
ConnStat processes the output generated when the NtfrsUtl tool is run with the sets parameter. Using the NtfrsUtl sets output as its data source, ConnStat creates a report that summarizes the status of the FRS replication connections to and from a specified computer.
Dfsgui.msc: Distributed File System snap-in
Category
Windows Server 2003 operating system tool
Version compatibility
Runs on Windows Server 2003. This snap-in is also part of the Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools Pack; you can install this pack on computers running Windows XP with Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later.
The Distributed File System snap-in is used to enable replication for DFS root or link targets, create custom replication schedules and topologies, set replication filters and connection priorities, and so forth.
FRSDiag.exe: FRS Diagnostics
Category
Diagnostic tool for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000. This tool is available from the Microsoft Download Center on the Microsoft Web site.
Version compatibility
Runs on any computer running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Server 2003, or Windows XP. Requires that NET Framework version 1.1 be installed on the computer where FRSDiag is running. Collects information from servers running Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003.
FRSDiag is an easy-to-use tool that replaces the Health_Chk tool used to gather FRS information. FRSDiag provides a graphical user interface for choosing which information to gather and analyzes the results to identify common FRS and Active Directory problems.
FrsFlags.vbs: File Replication Service Flags
Category
Resource Kit Tools for Windows Server 2003
Version compatibility
Runs on Windows Server 2003.
FrsFlags is a command-line tool that enables and disables the Install Override feature of FRS. It sets and clears the FrsFlags attribute of replica objects in Active Directory.
Health_chk.cmd: FRS Health Check
Category
Windows Support Tools for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Version compatibility
Runs on and collects information from servers running Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003.
Health_Chk retrieves FRS-related state information from the specified domain controller or server. It collects and provides administrators with in-depth data that can be used to monitor or troubleshoot an FRS system. Health_Chk calls a series of tools for the output they produce. It can be run against a remote server, though running the script directly on the server to be analyzed enables the tools to gather additional useful data that is not available when the script is run remotely.
Iologsum.cmd: FRS Inbound and Outbound Logs Summary Report Tool
Category
Windows Support Tools for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Version compatibility
Runs on and collects information from servers running Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003. Requires PERL 5.005 521e or 522e on the server where IOLogSum is running.
IOLogSum processes the output generated when the NtfrsUtl tool is run with the inlog, outlog, or idtable parameters. Running NtfrsUtl inlog or NtfrsUtl outlog creates a summary inbound or outbound NtfrsUtl log report showing the pending change orders for the replica member. Running NtfrsUtl idtable creates a report with version information for each file in the replica tree; this version information tracks the last change order accepted for that particular file or directory. Running IOLogSum then sorts and formats this NtfrsUtl output.
Ntfrsutl.exe:File Replication Utility
Category
Windows Support Tools for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Version compatibility
Runs on and collects information from servers running Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003.
NtfrsUtl dumps the internal tables, thread, and memory information for FRS.
Sonar.exe: Sonar
Category
Resource Kit Tools for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000. This tool is available from the Microsoft Download Center on the Microsoft Web site.
Version compatibility
Runs on any computer running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP. Requires .NET Framework version 1.1 on the computer where Sonar is running. Can be used to monitor servers running Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003.
Sonar is a tool designed for monitoring key statistics about FRS members in a replica set. Sonar can collect basic status information from FRS running on either Windows 2000 (all service packs) or Windows Server 2003. You can use Sonar to easily watch coarse statistics on a replica set, and to monitor traffic levels, backlogs, free space, and other issues. Sonar allows definition of filters that define rules for which rows to display, and also allows definition of column sets that can be viewed.
Topchk.cmd: DFS and SYSVOL Replication Topology Analysis Tool
Category
Windows Support Tools for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Version compatibility
Runs on and collects information from servers running Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003. Requires PERL 5.005 521e or 522e on the server where TopChk is running.
TopChk processes the output generated when the NtfrsUtl tool is run with the ds parameter. Using the NtfrsUtl ds output as its data source, TopChk creates a report that summarizes the replication topology of one or more replica sets.
Ultrasound.exe: Ultrasound
Category
Monitoring and troubleshooting tool for Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000. This tool is available from the Microsoft Download Center on the Microsoft Web site.
Version compatibility
The user interface component of Ultrasound can be run on computers running Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Server 2003, or Windows XP. Ultrasound requires that .NET Framework version 1.1 and Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.6 be installed on the computer where the user interface component is running. Ultrasound also requires a database server running either Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE) or SQL Server 2000 with SP3a. Ultrasound is used to monitor FRS on servers running Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 on which you install Ultrasound WMI providers.
Ultrasound is a powerful monitoring and troubleshooting tool used to measure the health of FRS replica sets. Ultrasound shows health ratings and historical information about replica sets and allows administrators to monitor the progress of replication and detect problems that can cause replication to become backlogged or stopped. Ultrasound also provides detailed views for troubleshooting and a framework for customizing alerts and views to suit an organization’s needs.
FRS Registry Entries
The following registry entries are associated with FRS. The information here is provided as a reference for use in troubleshooting or verifying that the required settings are applied. It is recommended that you do not directly edit the registry unless there is no other alternative. Modifications to the registry are not validated by the registry editor or by Windows before they are applied, and as a result, incorrect values can be stored. This can result in unrecoverable errors in the system. When possible, use Group Policy or other Windows tools, such as Microsoft Management Console (MMC), to accomplish tasks rather than editing the registry directly. If you must edit the registry, use extreme caution.
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs. The headings reflect the path beyond Ntfrs, such as Parameters or Parameters\Backup/Restore\Process at Startup, and the entries under each path are alphabetized.
Parameters
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters.
Compress Staging Files
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Disables the compression of staging files in the staging folder. Staging files are compressed by default.
Debug Disable
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Disables the FRS debug log files. By default, FRS records its actions in debug log files. These log files are named NtFrs_000n.log and are located in the Systemroot\Debug directory. These files are typically used to investigate FRS replication problems.
To find more information aboutthis registry entry, see Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
Debug Log File
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies where FRS stores its debug log files. If you change the value of this entry, FRS creates new debug log files in the directory specified, but it does not move existing debug log files to the new location. Also, FRS does not delete or maintain log files in the original location.
To find more information aboutthis registry entry, see Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
Debug Log Files
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies how many FRS debug log files can be active simultaneously. FRS creates a set of sequential log files named NtFrs_000n.log. The files are numbered, beginning with 0001, so that the log with the highest number contains the most recently logged entries. The log files are retained until the number of files reaches the value of this entry, and then FRS deletes NtFrs_0001.log and renumbers all remaining logs accordingly.
To find more information aboutthis registry entry, see Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
Debug Log Severity
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the level of detail that FRS records in its debug log files (NtFrs_000n.log). FRS assigns severity levels to different log print statements in the FRS code. The value of this entry determines which severity levels are written to the log. The higher the value of this entry, the more detail the log records.
If the value of this entry is 0, only the most severe events are recorded in the log. If the value of this entry is 5, all events are recorded in the log. The default value is set to 2 so that tracking records are displayed, as well as warning and error messages.
To find more information aboutthis registry entry, see Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
Debug Maximum Log Messages
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies how many entries can be stored in each FRS debug log file (NtFrs_000n.log). When the number of event entries reaches the value of Debug Maximum Log Messages, the system closes the current log file and starts a new one. The log files are numbered sequentially, so when FRS closes NtFrs_0001.log, it begins NtFrs_0002.log.
To find more information aboutthis registry entry, see Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
DS Polling Short Interval in Minutes
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
The interval at which FRS polls Active Directory at service startup or after configuration changes. FRS performs eight short polling intervals and then switches to long polling intervals if it is not interrupted by configuration changes that cause the short polling sequence to start over.
DS Polling Long Interval in Minutes
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
The interval at which FRS polls Active Directory for configuration changes after eight short polling intervals have finished without interruption. FRS performs eight short polling intervals and then switches to long polling intervals if it is not interrupted by configuration changes. Configuration changes cause the short polling sequence to begin again.
Enable Sharing Violation Logging
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003
Enables FRS to log sharing violation events (event ID 13573) in the File Replication service event log. When this is enabled, FRS keeps track of change orders that encounter sharing violations during install and other scenarios, and then logs event ID 13573 if the same change order encounters sharing violations equal to the Sharing Violation Events Counter registry entry per hour.
Max Sharing Violation Event
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003
Specifies the maximum number of sharing violation events that are posted to the File Replication service event log in one hour. The default value is 10, which means that FRS logs ten sharing violation events per hour at most. Note that if multiple change orders encounter sharing violations for the same file, FRS posts a single event to the log.
Ntfs Journal Size in MB
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Controls the size of the update sequence number (USN) journal. In Windows Server 2003, the default journal size is 128 megabytes (MB); in the pre-SP1 release of Ntfrs.exe, the default USN journal size is 512 MB. This setting applies to all volumes hosting an FRS replica tree. When the USN journal is set to 128 MB on a server that contains more than 100,000 files (or 400,000 files if the server is running the pre-SP1 release of Ntfrs.exe), we recommend that you increase the USN journal size by 128 MB per 100,000 additional files managed by FRS on the server.
To increase the size of the USN journal, you must stop and restart the NTFRS service. To decrease the size of the USN journal, you must reformat all volumes containing FRS replicated content.
Outlog Change History In Minutes
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Controls outbound log change-order retention. FRS retains change orders even after they are sent to all current downstream partners. This feature permits FRS to vvjoin with a new downstream partner from the outbound log and avoids a full file ID table scan. As a result, this feature is helpful in environments where the topology changes frequently and during a rollout, when many new members come online within a short time.
RPC TCP/IP Port Assignment
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the port that FRS uses for replication traffic. By default, FRS replication over remote procedure calls (RPCs) occurs dynamically over an available port by using RPC Endpoint Mapper (also known as RPCSS) on port 135. You can override this default functionality and specify the port that all FRS replication traffic passes through. When you do so, you can limit replication to a static port. The preferred port range to select from is 49152 to 65535, which is the range for private and dynamic ports that is specified by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
Sharing Violation Events Counter
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003
Specifies how often FRS logs sharing violation events in the File Replication service event log. The default is 10, which means that FRS logs a sharing violation event for every ten sharing violations that a change order encountered.
Staging Space Limit in KB
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the maximum amount of disk space used for the staging folder. The size of the staging folder governs the maximum amount of disk space that FRS can use to hold those staging files and the maximum file size that FRS can replicate. When FRS tries to allocate space for a staging file and is not successful because the amount of space in use has reached 90 percent of the staging space limit parameter, FRS starts to delete staging files. Staged files are deleted (in the order of the longest time since the last access) until the amount of space in use has dropped below 60 percent of the staging space limit parameter.
To find more information aboutthis registry entry, see Registry Reference in Tools and Settings Collection.
Suppress Identical Updates to Files
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies whether FRS tries to identify and suppress updates that do not change the content of a file (everything that is used to calculate the MD5 and attributes).
Working Directory
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the location of the Ntfrs.jdb file and associated log files. The Jet database should reside on an NTFS volume.
Parameters\Access Checks\Get Ds Polling Interval
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Get Ds Polling Interval.
Access checks are [Enabled or Disabled]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Get Ds Polling Interval
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies whether a user or process can get information about the Active Directory polling interval (by using Ntfrsutl.exe with the poll parameter, for example). Set to Enabled by default.
Access checks require [Full Control or Read]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Get Ds Polling Interval
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the permissions with which a user or process can get information about the Active Directory polling interval. Set to Read by default.
Parameters\Access Checks\Get Internal Information
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Get Internal Information.
Access checks are [Enabled or Disabled]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Get Internal Information
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies whether a user or process can get internal information about FRS (by using Ntfrsutl.exe, for example). Set to Enabled by default.
Access checks require [Full Control or Read]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Get Internal Information
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the permissions with which a user or process can get internal information about FRS (by using Ntfrsutl.exe, for example). Set to Full Control by default.
Parameters\Access Checks\Get Perfmon Data
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Get Perfmon Data.
Access checks are [Enabled or Disabled]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Get Perfmon Data
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies whether a user or process can collect performance-related information about FRS. Set to Enabled by default.
Access checks require [Full Control or Read]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Get Perfmon Data
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the permissions with which a user or process can collect performance-related information about FRS. Set to Read by default.
Parameters\Access Checks\Set Ds Polling Interval
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Set Ds Polling Interval.
Access checks are [Enabled or Disabled]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Set Ds Polling Interval
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies whether a user or process can change the Active Directory polling interval. Set to Enabled by default.
Access checks require [Full Control or Read]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Set Ds Polling Interval
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the permissions with which a user or process can change the Active Directory polling interval. Set to Full Control by default.
Parameters\Access Checks\Start Ds Polling
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Start Ds Polling.
Access checks are [Enabled or Disabled]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Start Ds Polling
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies whether a user or process can trigger Active Directory polling (by using Ntfrsutl.exe with the poll /now parameter, for example). Set to Enabled by default.
Access checks require [Full Control or Read]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Start Ds Polling
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the permissions with which a user or process can trigger Active Directory polling (by using Ntfrsutl.exe with the poll /now parameter, for example). Set to Read by default.
Parameters\Access Checks\Writer Commands
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Writer Commands.
Access checks are [Enabled or Disabled]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Writer Commands
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies whether the FRS VSS writer can issue commands. Set to Enabled by default.
Access checks require [Full Control or Read]
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Access Checks\Writer Commands
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the permissions with which the FRS VSS writer can issue commands. Set to Full Control by default.
Parameters\Backup/Restore\Process at Startup
The following registry entries are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\ Backup/Restore\Process at Startup.
Burflags
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Backup/Restore\Process at Startup
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Short for “backup restore flags,” Burflags is used to perform nonauthoritative or authoritative restores on FRS members of DFS or SYSVOL replica sets.
Parameters\SysVol Seeding
Replica Set Parent
Registry path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\SysVol Seeding
Version
Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000
Specifies the RPC binding string for the parent computer from which to seed during the SYSVOL creation process. This registry entry applies only to SYSVOL replica sets.
Network Ports Used by FRS
FRS uses the following two network ports:
Network Ports Used by FRS
| Service Name | TCP |
|---|---|
LDAP |
389 |
RPC |
Dynamic |
By default, FRS replication over remote procedure calls (RPCs) occurs dynamically over an available port by using RPC Endpoint Mapper (also known as Remote Procedure Call Server Service or RPCSS) on port 135; the process is the same for Active Directory replication.