Replicas

For NetWare Directory Services to be distributed across a network, the database must be stored on many servers. Rather than have a copy of the whole database on each server, replicas of each partition are stored on many servers throughout the network.

A replica is a copy of a partition. You can create an unlimited number of replicas for each partition and store them on any server in the network.

Replicas serve two purposes:

• To eliminate any single point of failure.

  For example, if a disk crashes or a server goes down, a replica on a server in another location can still authenticate users to the network and provide information on objects in that partition.

• To provide faster access to information for users across a WAN link.

  For example, if users must use a WAN link to access information, decrease access time and network traffic by placing a replica containing the needed information on a server that users can access locally.