Define the NFS server systems
NFS Gateway, functioning as a NFS client, needs to define NFS server systems before connections can be established.
From NFS Gateway's user interface window shown above, (assume you have setup
Host Editor) select a "drive", then click on the 'define' button to bring up next dialog box.
Click on 'Browse' to open up next dialog box which lists all NFS server systems defined in Host Editor.
Select the one you want to connect to. By clicking on the system name, you will bring out the exported directory of the system. Select the exported path and click 'OK' to close the box and 'Authentication' dialog box should appear.
There are three ways to setup the authentication for access permission to the NFS connection. The first two choices require you to enter a NFS server's user account and its password. To use PCNFSD method, you need to have the 'pcnfs' daemon running on the NFS server system. To use NIS method, you need to have the NFS server (in Host Editor) setup first.
The last authentication method is 'UID and GID'. They are the user id and group id numbers of an account on the NFS server system.
The user account used to mount the NFS drive on the NFS Gateway will be referred to as the default user account. Any user accessing NFS based files or data through Gateway 2000/NT Server without proper user identification mapping will have the default user access right. This is an advantage for administrators to better manage unknown or unauthorized user access to the NFS resources. It is advisable to use a low privilege default user account
Click 'Next' to bring up next dialog box. Here you can change the mounted drive letter to a name that is easy for you to remember. And you can specify the number of users to be allowed to share the mounted drive on the Gateway.
By click on button ‘Permission’, administrator can configure user access permissions to the re-shared NFS drives in addition to the standard NFS permission. Administrator can add, remove, or set specific restrictions and access permissions to the selected drives using standard Microsoft security feature.
Click 'Next' to finish up setting 'define'.
back to topOptions of NFS Gateway
The features of NFS Gateway options are:
- Buffer size: Adjust the buffer size can help to improve file transfer rate and sometimes improve data quality.
- Cache Off: With the box unchecked, data can be stored in local cache memory. When it is checked, the data from NFS drive will be retrieved directly form NFS server.
- Disable NFS 3: By default NFS 3 is on. This means NFS 3 on the NFS server system is required. If you are sure that NFS 2 is running on the NFS server system, check the box.
- Schedule: This feature allows user to specify mount/umount time for better service control, the 'military time' (0-23 hours) is used here.
- File Conversion: File conversion is bi-directional. It replaces the LF of a DOS file with a 'space' for UNIX viewing; and replace the EOL character of a UNIX file with a CR character for Windows viewing. The replacements is done to keep the file size unchanged.
It is not recommanded to turn on this option wiich might cause corruption with none ASSCII files. If not all files with different files extensions are wanted for file conversion, the "Set Extension" botton will aloow you to select desired files by their extensions.
- Locking Method: With the selection, NFS client place the request for the type of service.
- File attributes: All files created in the mounted drive will match the settings here.
- Directory Attributes: All directoris created in the mounted drive will match the settings here.
Mapping for Gateway network users
While the 'Authentication' set in both 'HostEditor' and 'Define' are for Gateway connecting to the NFS server, you need to setup 'Mapping' to give access permission to the Windows network users who want to access files on the NFS server system through the Gateway.
To setup 'Mapping', you need to first create user accounts on the Gateway system for each Windows user in the subnet, and also create user accounts for them on the NFS server system. Then map them up.
For example, the five Windows systems in the subnet having the login accounts: John, Jay, Jessica, Janet and Joan. You will create five user accounts on the Gateway system: J1, J2, J3, J4 and J5, and five user accounts on the NFS server system j1, j2, j3, j4 and j5.
Then, from this dialog box, the default should show correct domain and host name (the Gateway system) in Microsoft Domain and Microsoft Host. From Microsoft Accounts list, you select J1 and enter j1's user id and group id numbers in 'UID' and 'GID' screens. You can speicfy the NFS server system or leave it default as 'For All Unix'. Click on 'Add Mapping' to complete setting.
If J1 on the Gateway system and j1 on the NFS server system are the accounts assigned to John, then with the setting, John will be able to access the mounted drive on the Gateway system by login as J1, and work with files on the NFS server system created by j1. The rest of the 'mapping' for all other accounts will follow suit.
With this setting, user John can share the mounted drive on the Gateway system by using windows ‘map network drive’ and login as J1.
back to topHow NFS Gateway license works
NFS Gateway provides service of NFS connections to other Windows systems in the subnet. With this design, a 5-user license of Omni NFS Gateway means one installation on a Windows NT or 2000 server system, and five connections from other Windows systems in the subnet. The user connection is concurrent.
back to top