Create a DFS Namespace

Updated: October 16, 2013

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2

To create a new namespace, you can use Server Manager to create the namespace when you install the DFS Namespaces role service. You can also use the New-DfsnRoot cmdlet from a Windows PowerShell session. The DFSN Windows PowerShell module was introduced in Windows Server 2012. Or you can use the following procedure to create a namespace after installing the role service.

To create a namespace

1. Click Start , point to Administrative Tools , and then click DFS Management .

2. In the console tree, right-click the Namespaces node, and then click New Namespace .

3. Follow the instructions in the New Namespace Wizard .

   To create a stand-alone namespace on a failover cluster, specify the name of a clustered file server instance on the Namespace Server page of the New Namespace Wizard .

Important

Do not attempt to create a domain-based namespace using the Windows Server 2008 mode unless the forest functional level is Windows Server 2003 or higher. Doing so can result in a namespace for which you cannot delete DFS folders, yielding the following error message: “The folder cannot be deleted. Cannot complete this function.”

Additional references

• Deploying DFS Namespaces

• Choose a Namespace Type

• Add Namespace Servers to a Domain-based DFS Namespace

• Delegate Management Permissions for DFS Namespaces.