Distributed File System
Distributed file system (Dfs) is a Microsoft® Windows® 2000 service that assists network administrators in managing file resources on distributed enterprise networks. Dfs also makes finding files on networks easier for users by creating a single hierarchical view of the shared data on different computers in one or more domains.
Dfs runs on Windows 2000–based servers; but, unlike the NTFS file system or the file allocation table (FAT) file system, it is a background process that integrates file systems and shared folders into a single, logical namespace. This namespace reflects the network storage resources that are available to users on your network.
The information in this chapter is for administrators who want to understand how Dfs works, who need to design a Dfs system, and who must implement and support Dfs on their networks.
In This Chapter
Related Information in the Resource Kit
For more information about Active Directory™, the directory service that is included in Windows 2000, see the chapters about Active Directory in this book.
For more information about the File Replication service, see "File Replication Service" in this book.