Windows 2008 File Cluster - file share scoping

Hi,

We are currently in the process of migrating from an old fileshare to a new
fileshare. The new fileshare is setup on a Windows 2008 file cluster.

The problem is that we need to re-use our old dns-name for our fileserver
but when we do that we cant see the shares. We register the cname in our dns
to the new fileshare IP, but when we browse it it is empty.

if we browse \\newfileshare we se the share.
If we browse \\ip-adress-of-new-file-share we dont see the share.
If we browse \\olddnsname we dont see the share.

I'm guessing this has something to do with the new fileshare scoping
functionality of windows server 2008 and I'm woundering if anyone know of any
workaround for this "feature".

/Joans

"Jonas_Bson" <JonasBson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:52F48B77-3ADE-4CE0-93F6-D1B47FECAD82@microsoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> We are currently in the process of migrating from an old fileshare to a
new
> fileshare. The new fileshare is setup on a Windows 2008 file cluster.
>
> The problem is that we need to re-use our old dns-name for our fileserver
> but when we do that we cant see the shares. We register the cname in our
dns
> to the new fileshare IP, but when we browse it it is empty.
>
> if we browse \\newfileshare we se the share.
> If we browse \\ip-adress-of-new-file-share we dont see the share.
> If we browse \\olddnsname we dont see the share.
>
> I'm guessing this has something to do with the new fileshare scoping
> functionality of windows server 2008 and I'm woundering if anyone know of
any
> workaround for this "feature".
>

correct this is the new fileshare scoping to the actual name withing the
clustered Fileserver application.

why not use the "olddnsname" as the name inside your clustered fileserver
application ?

We have a couple of reasons why not to use it.

1. We need a new name-standard and this is a great time to form one
2. If we could use a DNS-alias the migration process is much easier, then we
can setup everything in advance and turn of our old fileserver, change the
DNS-alias and it works again.

Is there noway we can come around this mechanism in FSC 2008?

"Edwin vMierlo [MVP]" wrote:

>
> "Jonas_Bson" <JonasBson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:52F48B77-3ADE-4CE0-93F6-D1B47FECAD82@microsoft.com...
> > Hi,
> >
> > We are currently in the process of migrating from an old fileshare to a
> new
> > fileshare. The new fileshare is setup on a Windows 2008 file cluster.
> >
> > The problem is that we need to re-use our old dns-name for our fileserver
> > but when we do that we cant see the shares. We register the cname in our
> dns
> > to the new fileshare IP, but when we browse it it is empty.
> >
> > if we browse \\newfileshare we se the share.
> > If we browse \\ip-adress-of-new-file-share we dont see the share.
> > If we browse \\olddnsname we dont see the share.
> >
> > I'm guessing this has something to do with the new fileshare scoping
> > functionality of windows server 2008 and I'm woundering if anyone know of
> any
> > workaround for this "feature".
> >
>
> correct this is the new fileshare scoping to the actual name withing the
> clustered Fileserver application.
>
> why not use the "olddnsname" as the name inside your clustered fileserver
> application ?
>
>
>
>

Running into the same issue. Any ideas?

"Jonas_Bson" wrote:

> We have a couple of reasons why not to use it.
>
> 1. We need a new name-standard and this is a great time to form one
> 2. If we could use a DNS-alias the migration process is much easier, then we
> can setup everything in advance and turn of our old fileserver, change the
> DNS-alias and it works again.
>
> Is there noway we can come around this mechanism in FSC 2008?
>
> "Edwin vMierlo [MVP]" wrote:
>
> >
> > "Jonas_Bson" <JonasBson@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:52F48B77-3ADE-4CE0-93F6-D1B47FECAD82@microsoft.com...
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > We are currently in the process of migrating from an old fileshare to a
> > new
> > > fileshare. The new fileshare is setup on a Windows 2008 file cluster.
> > >
> > > The problem is that we need to re-use our old dns-name for our fileserver
> > > but when we do that we cant see the shares. We register the cname in our
> > dns
> > > to the new fileshare IP, but when we browse it it is empty.
> > >
> > > if we browse \\newfileshare we se the share.
> > > If we browse \\ip-adress-of-new-file-share we dont see the share.
> > > If we browse \\olddnsname we dont see the share.
> > >
> > > I'm guessing this has something to do with the new fileshare scoping
> > > functionality of windows server 2008 and I'm woundering if anyone know of
> > any
> > > workaround for this "feature".
> > >
> >
> > correct this is the new fileshare scoping to the actual name withing the
> > clustered Fileserver application.
> >
> > why not use the "olddnsname" as the name inside your clustered fileserver
> > application ?
> >
> >
> >
> >

"Doug" <Doug@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E3E25495-60C2-4A25-9DA3-83F0CF3E8147@microsoft.com...
> Running into the same issue. Any ideas?
>
> "Jonas_Bson" wrote:
>
>> We have a couple of reasons why not to use it.
>>
>> 1. We need a new name-standard and this is a great time to form one
>> 2. If we could use a DNS-alias the migration process is much easier, then
>> we
>> can setup everything in advance and turn of our old fileserver, change
>> the
>> DNS-alias and it works again.
>>
>> Is there noway we can come around this mechanism in FSC 2008?

If you are looking to re-use or continue to use the same fileserver name,
then the easiest way for a workaround is to use a DFS name to point to the
new failover cluster fileserver name.

--
Russ Kaufmann,
MVP, MCSE: Messaging and Security, MCT, MCITP, MCTS and other stuff

ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp

Not just the fileserver name - I'd like to keep the entire UNC path for all
of the shares working.

Using DFS would introduce the DFS root name after the server name for all
shares and would still require a change in behavior on the part of
applications and people.

So, now they connect with \\fileserver\blah$.

Using DFS, they'd have to connect with \\fileserver\dfsroot\blah$.

"Russ Kaufmann" wrote:

> "Doug" <Doug@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:E3E25495-60C2-4A25-9DA3-83F0CF3E8147@microsoft.com...
> > Running into the same issue. Any ideas?
> >
> > "Jonas_Bson" wrote:
> >
> >> We have a couple of reasons why not to use it.
> >>
> >> 1. We need a new name-standard and this is a great time to form one
> >> 2. If we could use a DNS-alias the migration process is much easier, then
> >> we
> >> can setup everything in advance and turn of our old fileserver, change
> >> the
> >> DNS-alias and it works again.
> >>
> >> Is there noway we can come around this mechanism in FSC 2008?
>
> If you are looking to re-use or continue to use the same fileserver name,
> then the easiest way for a workaround is to use a DFS name to point to the
> new failover cluster fileserver name.
>
> --
> Russ Kaufmann,
> MVP, MCSE: Messaging and Security, MCT, MCITP, MCTS and other stuff
>
> ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
> Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
> Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp
>

"Doug" <Doug@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:84DCF89B-8ACF-4F4F-A6D8-8CBA37085165@microsoft.com...
> Not just the fileserver name - I'd like to keep the entire UNC path for
> all
> of the shares working.
>
> Using DFS would introduce the DFS root name after the server name for all
> shares and would still require a change in behavior on the part of
> applications and people.
>
> So, now they connect with \\fileserver\blah$.
>
> Using DFS, they'd have to connect with \\fileserver\dfsroot\blah$.

Maybe I am losing my mind, but whenever I have used DFS, the root is the
name used, so your DFS root would be named fileserver and then you would
connect using \\fileserver\blah$

--
Russ Kaufmann,
MVP, MCSE: Messaging and Security, MCT, MCITP, MCTS and other stuff

ClusterHelp.com, a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner
Web http://www.clusterhelp.com
Blog http://msmvps.com/clusterhelp

Ok, I've almost got an acceptable work-around going.

I've created additional Client Access Points with names that would have been
just CNAMEs in DNS. Then I create duplicate shares under each name.

Adding the share through Failover Cluster Management GUI lets you pick the
name you want.

However, when I add a share through the explorer GUI or "net use" there is
no way to specify which CAP/network name resource I want to add the share to
(that I can see). It just picks one and I haven't been able to determine how
(doesn't appear to be alphabetical order, order of the name brought online or
the order of the file server resource brought online). I need a way to script
share creation.


Using the VB script:
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Dim objServices, objShare

Set objServices =
GetObject("WINMGMTS:{impersonationLevel=impersonate,(Security)}!" &
"\\servername" & "\ROOT\CIMV2")


Set objShare = objServices.Get("Win32_Share")

iRC = objShare.Create ( "P:\test", "sharename", 0, 25)
WScript.echo "Return code: " & iRC
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Produces the same results. No matter what name I put in for "\\servername"
in the GetObject call, it picks one particular network name to share it under.

Ideas?


"Jonas_Bson" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> We are currently in the process of migrating from an old fileshare to a new
> fileshare. The new fileshare is setup on a Windows 2008 file cluster.
>
> The problem is that we need to re-use our old dns-name for our fileserver
> but when we do that we cant see the shares. We register the cname in our dns
> to the new fileshare IP, but when we browse it it is empty.
>
> if we browse \\newfileshare we se the share.
> If we browse \\ip-adress-of-new-file-share we dont see the share.
> If we browse \\olddnsname we dont see the share.
>
> I'm guessing this has something to do with the new fileshare scoping
> functionality of windows server 2008 and I'm woundering if anyone know of any
> workaround for this "feature".
>
> /Joans

I Don't know if this is the proper way of doing it or not but it worked for me, the DisableStrictNameChecking didn't work so I created an additional client access point using the alias name with a new IP (no need to alias it in DNS) in the same resource pool that I wanted to alias, then I recreated the shares and they auomatically had the new aliased access point path and voila, took all of 5 minutes.