I have an older Windows 2008R2 Server which operates as file server ("normal" smb shares). As I need to replace it, I asked myself if it would be a good idea to move to DFS and start using namespaces, therefore making future server changes much more painless.
However I couldn't find information from microsoft if it's supported to have a single server as namespace server, without replication?
Regards, Christian
Yes, definitely. For a single server where DFS is practically not needed, it is still an advantage for exactly that scenario. It also makes it easier to grow because you can simply move a folder to another server without changing the way the folder is accessed.
DFS-R relies on DFS but is not required to implement DFS. DFS-R is usually not needed when you don't have files spread over several locations.