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Set Target Priority to Override Referral Ordering

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

A referral is an ordered list of targets that a client computer receives from a domain controller or namespace server when the user accesses a namespace root or folder with targets in the namespace. Each target in a referral is ordered according to the ordering method for the namespace root or folder. To refine how targets are ordered, you can set priority on individual targets. For example, you can specify that the target is first among all targets, last among all targets, or first (or last) among all targets of equal cost.

To set target priority on a root target for a domain-based namespace, use the following procedure.

To set target priority on a root target for a domain-based namespace

  1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DFS Management.

  2. In the console tree, under the Namespaces node, click the domain-based namespace for the root targets that you want to set priority on.

  3. In the details pane, on the Namespace Servers tab, right-click the root target with the priority that you want to change, and then click Properties.

  4. On the Advanced tab, click Override referral ordering, and then click the priority that you want.

    • First among all targets   Specifies that users should always be referred to this target if the target is available.

    • Last among all targets   Specifies that users should never be referred to this target unless all other targets are unavailable.

    • First among targets of equal cost   Specifies that users should be referred to this target before other targets of equal cost (which usually means other targets in the same site).

    • Last among targets of equal cost   Specifies that users should never be referred to this target if there are other targets of equal cost available (which usually means other targets in the same site).

To set target priority on a folder target, use the following procedure.

To set target priority on a folder target

  1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DFS Management.

  2. In the console tree, under the Namespaces node, click the folder of the targets that you want to set priority on.

  3. In the details pane, on the Folder Targets tab, right-click the folder target with the priority that you want to change, and then click Properties.

  4. On the Advanced tab, click Override referral ordering, and then click the priority that you want.

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