What
is the use of site?
Sites are primarily used to control
replication traffic. Domain controllers within a site are pretty much free to
replicate changes to the Active Directory database whenever changes are made.
Domain controllers in different sites compress the replication traffic and
operate based on a defined schedule, both of which are intended to cut down on
network traffic.
More specifically, sites are used to
control the following:
■ Workstation logon traffic
■ Replication traffic
■ Distributed File System (DFS)
Distributed File System (DFS) is a
server component that provides a unified naming convention for folders and
files stored on different servers on a network. DFS lets you create a single
logical hierarchy for folders and files that is consistent on a network,
regardless of where on the network those items are actually stored. Files
represented in the DFS might be stored in multiple locations on the network, so
it makes sense that Active Directory should be able to direct users to the
closest physical location of the data they need. To this end, DFS uses site
information to direct a client to the server that is hosting the requested data
within the site. If DFS does not find a copy of the data within the same site
as the client, DFS uses the site information in Active Directory to determine
which file server that has DFS shared data is closest to the client.
■ File
Replication Service (FRS)
Every domain controller has a built-in
collection of folders named SYSVOL (for System Volume). The SYSVOL folders
provide a default Active Directory location for files that must be replicated
throughout a domain. You can use SYSVOL to replicate Group Policy Objects,
startup and shutdown scripts, and logon and logoff scripts. A Windows Server
2003 service named File Replication Service (FRS) is responsible for
replicating files in the SYSVOL folders between domain controllers. FRS uses
site boundaries to govern the replication of items in the SYSVOL folders.