Distributed File System (DFS) replication is a new technology that has been included in Microsoft Windows Server starting in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2. Some Microsoft TechNet articles discuss the concept of prestaging to reduce network traffic during the initial synchronization of DFS data. Whether data that is located on each replication partner is considered the same depends on the hashing algorithm that is applied to the file, to the file permissions (discretionary access control lists), and to the file audit properties (system access control lists).
The hashes of prestaged data are affected by the following:
- Permissions
- Audit properties
- Inheritance
- The copy tool, such as Robocopy.exe or Xcopy.exe, that is used
Because the possible combinations of these factors are so wide and varied, predicting the success of prestaging operations is very difficult. However, the Backup program in Windows Server is a reliable mechanism to prestage data.
This article discusses how to use the Backup program to prestage data. This article includes a method that you can use to verify prestaged data before the initial DFS replication (DFSR) synchronization.
