If you're familiar with Microsoft's Dfs add-on for Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000's (Win2K's) upgraded feature with the same name, you might notice that NTFS directory junctions have strong similarities to Dfs. However, NTFS directory junctions and Dfs have significant differences, and you use the features for different purposes. Table A provides a summary of the differences between these two technologies.
| TABLE A: Comparison of Dfs Junction Points and NTFS Directory Junctions | ||
| Feature | Dfs Junction Points | NTFS Directory Junctions |
| Junction point origin | Local network share | Local NTFS directory |
| Junction point target | Any network share | Any valid local directory |
| Fault tolerance capabilities | Yes (in Win2K) | No |
| Recoverable | Yes | Yes (through Chkdsk) |
| Multiple-target capable | Yes | No |
| Clustering support | Yes | No |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Graphical management tools | Yes | Minimal |
| Requirements | Win2K or NT Server 4.0 | Win2K with NTFS 5.5 (NTFS5) |