What does Active, Targetset, and Active targetset mean in the Output of dfsutil /pkiinfo?

Question

I could use some guidance in interpreting the output of dfsutil /pktinfo.

Using the following example:

PS C:\Users\kbrandt> dfsutil.exe /pktinfo
...

Entry: \long.biz.foo\Images
ShortEntry: \long.biz.foo\Images
Expires in 4 seconds
UseCount: 1 Type:0x81 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS )
   0:[\OR-UTIL01\Images] ( TARGETSET )
   1:[\NY-FS01\Images] AccessStatus: 0xc00000be ( TARGETSET )
   2:[\NY-UTIL01\Images] AccessStatus: 0 ( ACTIVE )

Entry: \NY-UTIL01\Images
ShortEntry: \NY-UTIL01\Images
Expires in 65 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x81 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS )
   0:[\or-util01\Images] ( TARGETSET )
   1:[\NY-FS01\Images] AccessStatus: 0xc00000be ( TARGETSET )
   2:[\NY-UTIL01\Images] AccessStatus: 0 ( ACTIVE )

Entry: \or-util01\Images
ShortEntry: \or-util01\Images
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x81 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS )
   0:[\OR-UTIL01\Images] AccessStatus: 0 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
   1:[\NY-UTIL01\Images] ( TARGETSET )
   2:[\NY-FS01\Images]

Entry: \FOO\Images
ShortEntry: \FOO\Images
Expires in 108 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x81 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS )
   0:[\OR-UTIL01\Images] AccessStatus: 0 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
   1:[\NY-UTIL01\Images] ( TARGETSET )
   2:[\NY-FS01\Images]

What do the three states TARGETSET, ACTIVE TARGETSET, and ACTIVE mean exactly?

In particular, why might OR-UTIL01 be ACTIVE for \long.biz.foo\Images but the shortname version FOO\Images have NY-UTIL01 as ACTIVE TARGETSET? I'd like to have a better understanding of this to know if it is normal or not. Once I understand it, I might be looking at and issue with IPv6 being disabled (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2003961) if this isn't normal.

I did read "NOTE: PKTINFO indicates a successful connection to the referral returned by listing it as ACTIVE" So maybe NY-FS01 is blocked by the firewall (pretty sure it is from this client). Just Active means the connection is working, ACTIVE TARGETSET means it is Active and that connection is being used? But what would just TARGETSET mean? — Kyle Brandt, Nov 28 '12 at 15:22
@tonyroth: "OR" The client is in a different network (subnet) within the site than OR-UTIL01, but the client's subnet is properly assigned to the same site in AD Sites and Services. — Kyle Brandt, Nov 28 '12 at 15:35
accessstatus 0xC00000BE I think means invalid connection in this case. So yes a firewall etc maybe the issue. — tony roth, Nov 28 '12 at 16:26

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 03 '12 at 22:19

When I ran the following in my environment, dfsutil /pktinfo the DFS information for the sysvol in AD was returned as I do not have any file shares or anything using DFS at the moment.

The listed Active TargetSet was to the domain controller residing in the same site as my workstation while the Targetset was pointing to the domain controller residing in another site.

I would estimate these items to be referring to computers within an environment capable of answering requests. Since I am located in Site 1 when running the command, the active item in the targetset would be the DC closest to me. The other item in the targetset, which would/could field requests if the current active member were offline, is in the other AD site.

Basically the target set is comprised of servers able to field a DFS request. the Active member is the server that would most likely field the request from the computer where the command was issued.

Just to test this theory, when I logged into a DC in the other AD site, the active targetset item was that DC and the Targetset item was a DC in the other site.

Hope this helps

Derek

What does Active, Targetset, and Active targetset mean in the Output of dfsutil /pkiinfo?

1 Answers1