Summary of DFS Machine Roles

The table below summarizes the DFS machine roles described in the previous sections. For each machine role, the table provides a brief description of its purpose and lists the DFS processes that a machine filling the role must run. The table also provides suggestions for how to configure machines of a specific type and other roles a machine of each type can assume. A machine that is assuming any of the roles listed in the table must be configured as a DCE client machine. A machine assuming a role as a DFS server must have both an RPC binding in CDS for its pathname and a DFS server principal in the Registry Database.

Recall that any server machine can be configured to perform any of the other server machine roles. Also, a server machine can be configured as a client machine, and vice versa. For a machine to fill an additional role, it must run the processes listed for that role in the third column of the table. (See Overview of DFS Machine Roles for expanded descriptions of the machine roles.)

Note: The table below uses the numbers 1 and 2 to differentiate the upserver and upclient processes running on the machines. The notations upserver1 and upclient1 denote the Update Server that distributes common configuration files from a System Control machine. The notations upserver2 and upclient2 denote the Update Server that distributes binary files from a Binary Distribution machine.

Summary of DFS Machine Roles

Machine Role Purpose Processes Suggestions

System Control machine To distribute common configuration files for a domain bosserver
upserver1
upclient2 Use a Binary Distribution machine as the System Control machine for a domain.

Binary Distribution machine To distribute system binary files for its CPU/OS type bosserver
upserver2
upclient1 Use the System Control machine for a domain as a Binary Distribution machine.

File Server machine To export and store DCE LFS and non-LFS data bosserver
ftserver
fxd
dfsbind
repserver
upclient1
upclient2 A File Server machine must also have a server entry in the FLDB. In a large cell, dedicate one File Server machine to housing read-only replicas.

Fileset Database machine To store the Fileset Location Database (FLDB) bosserver
flserver
upclient1
upclient2 Configure three Fileset Database machines. Configure Fileset Database machines as Backup Database machines.

Backup Database machine To store the Backup Database bosserver
bakserver
upclient1
upclient2 Configure three Backup Database machines. Configure Backup Database machines as Fileset Database machines.

DFS client machine To serve as a single-user or multiuser workstation; to access files for application programs dfsd
dfsbind Export DCE LFS and non-LFS data from the machine by running bosserver, ftserver, fxd, upclient2, and optionally repserver, creating an RPC binding in CDS, registering a DFS server principal in the Registry Database, and creating a server entry in the FLDB.

Machine Role	Purpose	Processes	Suggestions
System Control machine	To distribute common configuration files for a domain	bosserver upserver1 upclient2	Use a Binary Distribution machine as the System Control machine for a domain.
Binary Distribution machine	To distribute system binary files for its CPU/OS type	bosserver upserver2 upclient1	Use the System Control machine for a domain as a Binary Distribution machine.
File Server machine	To export and store DCE LFS and non-LFS data	bosserver ftserver fxd dfsbind repserver upclient1 upclient2	A File Server machine must also have a server entry in the FLDB. In a large cell, dedicate one File Server machine to housing read-only replicas.
Fileset Database machine	To store the Fileset Location Database (FLDB)	bosserver flserver upclient1 upclient2	Configure three Fileset Database machines. Configure Fileset Database machines as Backup Database machines.
Backup Database machine	To store the Backup Database	bosserver bakserver upclient1 upclient2	Configure three Backup Database machines. Configure Backup Database machines as Fileset Database machines.
DFS client machine	To serve as a single-user or multiuser workstation; to access files for application programs	dfsd dfsbind	Export DCE LFS and non-LFS data from the machine by running bosserver, ftserver, fxd, upclient2, and optionally repserver, creating an RPC binding in CDS, registering a DFS server principal in the Registry Database, and creating a server entry in the FLDB.