Mailing List Archive: Netapp: toasters

SnapDrive for Windows & CIFS

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G.Milazzo at sinergy

May 8, 2008, 12:03 AM

Post #1 of 5 (209 views)
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SnapDrive for Windows & CIFS

Hi,

this is a good question: must CIFS be licensed to use SnapDrive for
Windows?

I've never had the chance to perform some test but I think that the
answer is "yes". And you know why: because SnapDrive for Windows needs
to 'see' and 'reach' the volume where you create the LUN(s) by CIFS
using a UNC path.

It's also true that there a limited CIFS that permit to access to the
administrative share C$ but, as example, when I've tried to upgrade a
DataOntap using the windows package, without a full CIFS license, the
unzip of data failed!

So. Why customer ha sto spend money for an unused license if he needs
only SAN functions.

Regards

tom.de.wit at volvo

May 8, 2008, 12:51 AM

Post #2 of 5 (204 views)
Permalink

RE: SnapDrive for Windows & CIFS [In reply to]

As a mather of fact, the answer is NO. Netapp allows you to use shares
for Snapdrive, without a CIFS license.

The CIFS service needs to be started however and you will receive a CIFS
License Violation warning in your syslog messages every time you access
the share, but you can safely ignore it.

Grtz,
Tom

________________________________

From: owner-toasters[at]mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters[at]mathworks.com]
On Behalf Of Milazzo Giacomo
Sent: donderdag 8 mei 2008 9:04
To: toasters[at]mathworks.com
Subject: SnapDrive for Windows & CIFS

Hi,

this is a good question: must CIFS be licensed to use SnapDrive for
Windows?

I've never had the chance to perform some test but I think that the
answer is "yes". And you know why: because SnapDrive for Windows needs
to 'see' and 'reach' the volume where you create the LUN(s) by CIFS
using a UNC path.

It's also true that there a limited CIFS that permit to access to the
administrative share C$ but, as example, when I've tried to upgrade a
DataOntap using the windows package, without a full CIFS license, the
unzip of data failed!

So. Why customer ha sto spend money for an unused license if he needs
only SAN functions.

Regards

bacardicoke at gmail

May 8, 2008, 12:59 AM

Post #3 of 5 (204 views)
Permalink

Re: SnapDrive for Windows & CIFS [In reply to]

Hi Milazzo,

On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 9:03 AM, Milazzo Giacomo <G.Milazzo[at]sinergy.it>
wrote:

> Hi,
>
>
>
> this is a good question: must CIFS be licensed to use SnapDrive for
> Windows?
>
>
>
I am uncertain if it's a legal requirement, but technically it is not. You
can set up CIFS in a 'limited mode', where the C$, ETC$ and RPC are
available. RPC is what SnapDrive uses for interaction with the filer, in
combination with the API, IIRC.

This way you can access the C$ and ETC$ share, however it is limited to
reading/writing config files, firmware updates etc.

> IIt's also true that there a limited CIFS that permit to access to the
> administrative share C$ but, as example, when I've tried to upgrade
>
Use the 'software install' or 'software upgrade' command to upgrade in this
way, that way you won't get any errors about CIFS being limited, and the
'software upgrade' command adds in a package verification so that you know
everything actually downloaded correctly before beginning the actual
upgrade.

HTH & HAND,

Nils

--
Simple guidelines to happiness:
Work like you don't need the money,
Love like your heart has never been broken and
Dance like no one can see you.

tom.de.wit at volvo

May 8, 2008, 1:24 AM

Post #4 of 5 (204 views)
Permalink

RE: SnapDrive for Windows & CIFS [In reply to]

>Use the 'software install' or 'software upgrade' command to upgrade in
this way, that way you won't get any errors about CIFS being limited,
and the 'software upgrade' command adds in a package verification so
that you know everything actually downloaded correctly before beginning
the actual upgrade.

I completely agree !

Tom

________________________________

From: owner-toasters[at]mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters[at]mathworks.com]
On Behalf Of Nils Vogels
Sent: donderdag 8 mei 2008 9:59
To: Milazzo Giacomo; toasters[at]mathworks.com
Subject: Re: SnapDrive for Windows & CIFS

Hi Milazzo,

On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 9:03 AM, Milazzo Giacomo <G.Milazzo[at]sinergy.it>
wrote:

Hi,

this is a good question: must CIFS be licensed to use SnapDrive
for Windows?

I am uncertain if it's a legal requirement, but technically it is not.
You can set up CIFS in a 'limited mode', where the C$, ETC$ and RPC are
available. RPC is what SnapDrive uses for interaction with the filer, in
combination with the API, IIRC.

This way you can access the C$ and ETC$ share, however it is limited to
reading/writing config files, firmware updates etc.

IIt's also true that there a limited CIFS that permit to access
to the administrative share C$ but, as example, when I've tried to
upgrade

Use the 'software install' or 'software upgrade' command to upgrade in
this way, that way you won't get any errors about CIFS being limited,
and the 'software upgrade' command adds in a package verification so
that you know everything actually downloaded correctly before beginning
the actual upgrade.

HTH & HAND,

Nils

--
Simple guidelines to happiness:
Work like you don't need the money,
Love like your heart has never been broken and
Dance like no one can see you.

bacardicoke at gmail

May 8, 2008, 1:32 AM

Post #5 of 5 (203 views)
Permalink

Re: SnapDrive for Windows & CIFS [In reply to]

On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 10:24 AM, De Wit Tom (Consultant) <
tom.de.wit[at]volvo.com> wrote:

> >Use the 'software install' or 'software upgrade' command to upgrade in
> this way, that way you won't get any errors about CIFS being limited, and
> the 'software upgrade' command adds in a package verification so that you
> know everything actually downloaded correctly before beginning the actual
> upgrade.
>
> I completely agree !
>

As an added plus, it also eliminates pesky permissions problems that could
result in weird errors *after* upgrading, when you unpack the exe as a user
that doesn't have quite the right permissions in the ETC$ share. I've seen
for instance java going horribly wrong in that way.

This is because when running the 'software install' / 'software upgrade'
commands, you are sure the commands are run as the local admin on the filer
(=root). When using CIFS to place/unpack the files, you usually are
performing that action with the permissions of "whoever is currently running
explorer.exe", which might be the cause of spending some extra after-office
hours, and (most importantly) might cause you to miss dinner @ home.

Actually, I don't quite understand why NetApp still uses this method in
their upgrade advisors, IMHO, they have developed far better alternatives by
now by way of the 'software *' commands.

Gr,

Nils

--
Simple guidelines to happiness:
Work like you don't need the money,
Love like your heart has never been broken and
Dance like no one can see you.

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