Distributed File System Replication (DFSR) is a role service in Windows Server that allows you to replicate folders across multiple servers for redundancy and load balancing. Adding a DFSR member involves configuring a new server to participate in the DFSR group, ensuring that it can share and replicate files with other members of the group. This is crucial for maintaining high availability and consistency of data across different locations. In this article, we will explore how to add DFSR members using PowerShell, which provides a more automated and efficient way to manage DFSR configurations compared to the graphical user interface (GUI).

Examples:

1. Prerequisites: Ensure that the DFS Management tools are installed on your server. You can install them via Server Manager or using PowerShell:

   Install-WindowsFeature RSAT-DFS-Mgmt-Con

2. Adding a New DFSR Member: To add a new DFSR member, you need to have the DFS namespace and replication group already configured. Here’s how you can add a new member to an existing replication group:

   # Define variables
   $rgName = "ReplicationGroupName"
   $folderName = "ReplicatedFolderName"
   $newMember = "NewMemberServerName"
   $primaryMember = "PrimaryMemberServerName"
   
   # Add the new member to the replication group
   Add-DfsrMember -GroupName $rgName -ComputerName $newMember
   
   # Add the replicated folder to the new member
   Add-DfsrMember -GroupName $rgName -FolderName $folderName -ComputerName $newMember
   
   # Create a new membership for the replicated folder on the new member
   New-DfsReplicationGroupMember -GroupName $rgName -ComputerName $newMember -FolderName $folderName -PrimaryMember $primaryMember

3. Verifying the Configuration: After adding the new member, you should verify that it has been successfully added to the replication group and that the replication is functioning correctly.

   # Check the status of the replication group
   Get-DfsrGroup -GroupName $rgName
   
   # Check the status of the new member
   Get-DfsrMember -GroupName $rgName -ComputerName $newMember
   
   # Check the replication status
   Get-DfsrBacklog -GroupName $rgName -FolderName $folderName -SourceComputerName $primaryMember -DestinationComputerName $newMember

4. Troubleshooting: If you encounter issues, you can use the following commands to diagnose and resolve common problems:

   # Check the DFSR event logs
   Get-WinEvent -LogName "DFS Replication"
   
   # Force replication
   Update-DfsrConfigurationFromAD -ComputerName $newMember