XADM: How to Determine Which Public Folder Replica is Used

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The algorithm is as follows:

• If an instance of the public folder exists on the user's Public Folder Server, that instance is used. The Public Folder Server is determined by the Public Folder field on the General property page for the client's private information store.
  
  
• If there is an instance of the public folder on any server with the same "Server Location" as the Public Folder Server.
  
  
• Next, any server in the server location * is checked.
  
  
• If the client has an existing remote procedure call (RPC) connection to a server, it is tried next.
  
  
• If there are several instances in the site, the information store uses a per-computer random number (called a connection modulus) to determine which server in the site it will connect to. This specifies a per-computer method of determining the connection. In other words, two different users on the same computer will connect to the same server to view the public folder.
  
  Because the connection modulus is random per computer, this method will distribute connections across all the available instances in the site. This provides load balancing to servers within the site.
  
  NOTE: The connection-modulus server may not be the same for a client for all public folders. For example, if SERVER1 is the user's Public Folder Server, and SERVER2 and SERVER3 are other Public Folder Servers in the same site that contain replicas of a public folder, FOLDER1. The user's connection-modulus server could be SERVER3. Now, suppose there is another public folder, FOLDER2, for which SERVER2, SERVER3, and SERVER4 are Public Folder Servers containing replicas of this folder. In this case, the user's connection-modulus for FOLDER2 might be SERVER2.
  
  
• If the connection modulus server cannot be connected to, the remaining servers in the site with the replicas are tried.
  
  
• If no instances are available in the site, but there is at least one site available with instances, the affinity to the sites is used to rank the order in which connections to the sites will be attempted. The affinity is set on the site public folder Affinity page. It allows an administrator to set a cost to each of the other sites in the enterprise.
  
  The cost ranks the order in which the client will attempt connection, and the lowest cost site is attempted first. After the site is determined, its servers are tried in random order. If two sites have the same cost, the servers in those sites are pooled together and tried in a random order. Connections to servers in sites without an affinity setting are not attempted.
  
  NOTE: Clients must have RPC connectivity to the servers in the affinity sites. Otherwise, the clients will not be able to access the public folders in the other sites, even though the affinity has been correctly set.

The cost ranks the order the client will attempt connection and the lowest cost site is attempted first. After the site is determined, its servers are tried in random order. If two sites have the same cost, the servers in those sites are pooled together and tried in a random order. Connections to servers in sites without an affinity setting are not attempted.

NOTE: Clients must have RPC connectivity to the servers in the affinity sites. Otherwise, the clients will not be able to access the public folders in the other sites, even though the affinity has been correctly set.