asked on 5/16/2011

DFSR replicating fine, but no replication group visible on second member server (2008 R2)

Hi guys; as ever, hope someone can help.

I think the problem I'm experiencing might not be a problem, but possibly a feature. If it is the latter, I don't like the way Microsoft have done this.

I have setup a DFSR replication group, and replicated just one folder. The folder is massive (in capacity terms) holding approx 2.5 million documents.

I set the replication going between the primary member, and one other server over the weekend. Both systems are running 2008 R2, and I have taken advantage of the 'read only' feature on the second server, as it is there as an offsite backup (it's in a seperate building).

It has all worked faultlessly, and I can verify replication is complete, and all health reports are good. HOWEVER, if I load up DFS managment on the server which receives a read-only copy of the data, the replication group is not listed. It's as if it doesn't exist.

I suspect this is a fault (even with the folder being 'read-only' there are other settings that should still be configurable from this management panel), and it's un-nerving that I can't see my replication folder here. Is this some design by weird intention, or a common error? Perhaps, either way someone could point me to an MS article to help me, or give further advice. I've Googled a bit, and no-one else seems to be talking about this!

Cheers :D

Windows Server 2008

Last Comment

Member_2_3517100

5/17/2011

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

kevinhsieh

5/17/2011

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Member_2_3517100

5/17/2011

ASKER

Here's the bizarre thing - I'd already thought down that line, and every time I went to add a replication group to Display, it would not list my new group (from the list of possible rep groups you have to select from). Now it will ! I have no idea what's changed in the last 24 hours - I haven't restarted the server, and the replication group had been created days before. I can only assume some parametre setting in the schema hadn't replicated forest wide, but we have a very basic network, with only 2 x DCs.

Also, I've never had to do this in the past - whenever creating new replication groups between members, all members have automatically added the new groups to their DFS Management display. So a bit of a mystery!

This all said, what you've suggested did the trick, and I thank you very much for mentioning it, and making be revisit something that didn't work before.

Many thanks for your time - if I ever find out why this glitch happened, I'll post i back here.

Cheers,

Bluemercury

Member_2_3517100

5/17/2011

ASKER

Solution spot on to fix immediate problem - although we still don't know why the replication group doesn't automatically display in DFS Management (as it always has with my other rep groups) and this is something for me to still try and resolve. Also, solution only worked when tried recently, and not for days after initial rep, when I'd tried it on my own volition.