While accessing DFS share from client, nearest DFS server will be selected and you can see which server is selected by checking folder properties – DFS Tab – referral list and your connected server will be active (Yes on Active), did you ever verified is all your DFS servers on the list? Why some DFS namespace server not showing up in the tab? How client connecting closest DFS server? One of our reader asked this and when I checked the production DFS environment and found not all servers in the DFS referral list on client end, list will be changing if you open from different site, now I know why this behaviour after a detailed analysis, will explain
Also Read:DFS troubleshooting from Client end
Referral Settings Tab on DFS Server (Namespace Properties Dialog Box)
- DFS Management
- Namespaces
- Add namespace if require
- Browse to the DFS Folder
- Open Proprieties
- Click Referrals
- Check what ordering method for DFS link targets are selected
Lowest cost
If Lowest cost method is selected DFS link targets as follows:
- Targets in the same AD Domain Services site as the client System are listed in random order at the top of the referral.
- Targets outside of the client’s site are listed in order or lowest cost to highest cost. Referrals with the same cost are grouped together, and the DFS link targets are listed in random order within each group.
Also Read: Windows Server 2012 related post
Referrals with the same cost are grouped together, so by design it won’t show all the servers in the referral list, if one or more servers are in same cost then only one best possible server will be listed, other servers are excluded
Check Active Directory Sites and Services for Site link costs, same has been used by DFS to calculate nearest site DFS server
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