DFS Replication Volumes Test

In DFS, replication folders are hosted on volumes. The DFS replication service maintains one ESE (Extensible Storage Engine) database per volume. This database is used to store metadata about each file and folder in the replicated folder.

How quickly the DFSR performs replication depends upon how well the volume (i.e., the ESE database in the volume) is sized. Because volumes are to be sized on the basis of the transaction load that replication imposes on them, administrators may first want to ascertain the level of database activity that replication typically generates per volume and then plan volume capacity accordingly. The DFS Replication Volumes test helps administrators with this exercise.

For every volume that hosts replication folders, this test reports the count of database lookups and commits performed on the volume since the last measurement period. By tracking variations to these measures over time, administrators can easily understand the current load, forecast the future load, and use these results to determine/fine-tune the volume size.

Target of the test : A server that hosts the DFS namespace  (this can even be a server that contains the Dfs root or a replica of it)

Agent deploying the test : An internal agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for each volume hosting replication folders.

Configurable parameters for the test

Parameters	Description
Test period	This indicates how often should the test be executed.
Host	The host for which the test is to be configured.
Port	The port at which the specified host listens to.

Measurements made by the test

Measurement	Description	Measurement Unit	Interpretation
Database lookups	Indicates the number of database search operations performed by the DFS replication service on this volume since the last measurement period.	Number	These measures are good indicators of the level of database activity that replication generates on a volume. Compare the value of these measures across volumes to know which volume is used the most. For this volume, closely track variations in the value of these measures over time, understand load changes, and accordingly right-size (if required) the volume.
Database commits	Indicates the number of database commit operations performed by the DFS replication service on this volume since the last measurement period.	Number