Editing Windows 2000 (section)

==== Distributed File System ====
{{main|Distributed File System (Microsoft)}}

The Distributed File System (DFS) allows [[Server Message Block|shares]] in multiple different locations to be logically grouped under one folder, or ''DFS root''. When users try to access a [[Shared resource|network share]] off the DFS root, the user is really looking at a ''DFS link'' and the DFS server transparently redirects them to the correct [[file server]] and share. A DFS root can only exist on a Windows 2000 version that is part of the server family, and only one DFS root can exist on that server.

There can be two ways of implementing a DFS namespace on Windows 2000: either through a standalone DFS root or a domain-based DFS root. Standalone DFS allows for only DFS roots on the local computer, and thus does not use Active Directory. Domain-based DFS roots exist within Active Directory and can have their information distributed to other [[domain controller]]s within the domain – this provides [[Fault-tolerant system|fault tolerance]] to DFS. DFS roots that exist on a domain must be hosted on a domain controller or on a domain member server. The file and root information is replicated via the Microsoft [[File Replication Service]] (FRS).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Microsoft KB article 812487: Overview of DFS in Windows 2000 |url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812487 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214115202/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812487 |archive-date=February 14, 2007 |access-date=September 17, 2006}}</ref>