Windows File Replication Service Management Pack Guide
Together with Ultrasound, the File Replication Service (FRS) Management Pack provides a mechanism for monitoring the Microsoft Windows File Replication Service running on Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP4), or later.
File Replication Service
FRS is a multi-master replication service that is used to keep Distributed File System (DFS) shares synchronized. FRS is also used by the operating system to replicate the contents of the SYSVOL folder in domain controllers, and it is integral to domain controller advertising.
FRS works by detecting changes to files and folders in a replica set and then replicating those changes to other replica members that are connected in a replication topology. Because FRS is a multi-master replication service, any member of a replica set can generate changes and FRS can resolve file and folder conflicts to ensure data consistency among the replica members.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a monitoring and troubleshooting tool for FRS. Ultrasound measures the health of FRS replica sets by providing health ratings and historical information about replica sets. Ultrasound also allows administrators to monitor the progress of replication and detect problems that can cause the replication to become backlogged or stopped.
Ultrasound uses Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) providers on replica members to gather FRS status information. The controller is the service component of Ultrasound that collects data about monitored replica sets, pushes the information into the Ultrasound database, and analyzes the data to look for issues that require administrator notification or intervention. For more information about Ultrasound, see the Ultrasound documentation.
File Replication Service Management Pack
The FRS Management Pack uses a MOM agent on the Ultrasound controller computer to analyze the Ultrasound database. MOM applies the FRS Management Pack rules to the Ultrasound Controller to determine the health status of individual replica sets, members, and connections.
The FRS Management Pack forwards the health information from Ultrasound to MOM. However, you should use the Ultrasound console for further detailed information about FRS health and to modify the rules and settings that define the health of FRS objects.
This guide corresponds to version 05.0.3000.0000 of the File Replication Service Management Pack. After importing the Management Pack, check the version to ensure that it is correct.
To view the version of the installed Management Pack
In the Administrator console, expand Management Packs and then expand Rule Groups.
Right-click Microsoft Windows File Replication Service (enabled), and then select Properties.
On the General tab, in the Rule Group Properties dialog box, the Version field displays the version number.
For more information, and to download MOM Management Packs, visit the MOM Management Pack Catalog Web site.
Requirements
For the FRS Management Pack to operate optimally, the following requirements must be met:
Each computer participating in FRS must be managed by MOM.
You must set up an Ultrasound server and have multiple computers with working FRS replica sets. Ultrasound must be configured to manage both the computers running FRS and the FRS replica sets.
Important
The FRS Management Pack relies on information gathered by Ultrasound. Therefore, if Ultrasound is managing computers that are running FRS but are not managed by MOM, the State views for those computers will be incomplete.
Any specific FRS requirements and dependencies must be met. For example, FRS requires Active Directory directory service replication to be implemented and to be working properly.