Group multiple file systems under a single namespace - Amazon FSx for Windows File Server

Group multiple file systems under a single namespace

In this procedure, you will create a single domain-based namespace (example.com\corp) on two namespace servers, in order to consolidate file shares stored on multiple FSx for Windows file systems (finance, marketing, sales, home_directories). You will also set up four file shares under the namespace, each transparently redirecting users to shares hosted on separate FSx for Windows file systems. This enables your users to access file shares using a common namespace instead of having to specify the DNS names for each of the file systems hosting the file shares.

Note

Amazon FSx cannot be added to the root of the DFS share path.

To group multiple file systems into a common DFS namespace

  1. If you don't already have DFS Namespace servers running, you can launch a pair of highly available DFS Namespace servers using the setup-DFSN-servers.template AWS CloudFormation template. For more information on creating an AWS CloudFormation stack, see Creating a Stack on the AWS CloudFormation Console in the AWS CloudFormation User Guide.

  2. Connect to one of the DFS Namespace servers launched in the previous step as a user in the AWS Delegated Administrators group. For more information, see Connecting to Your Windows Instance in the Amazon EC2 User Guide.

  3. Access the DFS Management Console by opening. Open the Start menu and run dfsmgmt.msc. This opens the DFS Management GUI tool.

  4. Choose Action then New Namespace, type in the computer name of the first DFS Namespace server you launched for Server and choose Next.

  5. For Name, type in the namespace you're creating (for example, corp).

  6. Choose Edit Settings and set the appropriate permissions based on your requirements. Choose Next.

  7. Leave the default Domain-based namespace option selected, leave the Enable Windows Server 2008 mode option selected, and choose Next.

    Note

    Windows Server 2008 mode is the latest available option for Namespaces.

  8. Review the namespace settings and choose Create.

  9. With the newly created namespace selected under Namespaces in the navigation bar, choose Action then Add Namespace Server.

  10. Type in the computer name of the second DFS Namespace server you launched for Namespace server.

  11. Choose Edit Settings, set the appropriate permissions based on your requirements, and choose OK.

  12. Open the context (right-click) menu for the namespace you just created, choose New Folder, type in the name of the folder (for example, finance for Name, and choose OK.

  13. Type in the DNS name of the file share that you want the DFS Namespace folder to point to in UNC format (for example, \\fs-0123456789abcdef0.example.com\finance) for Path to folder target and choose OK.

  14. If the share doesn't exist:

    1. Choose Yes to create it.

    2. From the Create Share dialog, choose Browse.

    3. Choose an existing folder, or create a new folder under D$, and choose OK.

    4. Set the appropriate share permissions, and choose OK.

  15. From the New Folder dialog, choose OK. The new folder will be created under the namespace.

  16. Repeat the last four steps for other folders you want to share under the same namespace.