setting up nfs server

Do you specifically need NFS? Would Samba not be more suitable for Windows clients?

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SettingUpSamba

Thank you Alan for your reply:

But no, samba will not do, I have set-up a shared with samba, but it needs to be a NFS Server, once I have setup a test NFS server, I will have to set-up a server witch is located at a web farm, so samba only work well in a local area network, But NFS can be access over the internet and has lots more security features.

The share will be access from different office accross the UK, I wish to create a scratch volume for files to be uploaded and retrived by anyone working in the company, it will be a replacement for WEBDRIVE.

Thanks

Thank you Alan for your reply:

But no, samba will not do, I have set-up a shared with samba, but it needs to be a NFS Server, once I have setup a test NFS server, I will have to set-up a server witch is located at a web farm, so samba only work well in a local area network, But NFS can be access over the internet and has lots more security features.

The share will be access from different office accross the UK, I wish to create a scratch volume for files to be uploaded and retrived by anyone working in the company, it will be a replacement for WEBDRIVE.

Thanks

There is a package that allows you to use nfs mounts from windows on the Microsoft site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=896C9688-601B-44F1-81A4-02878FF11778&displaylang=en

The package is called Windows Services for Unix and contains a nfs client.

I hope this helps

Thanks txwikinger,

I will install the NSF client for windows, I hope this will help me to able to mount my test NFS share drive.

Cheers

John

Txwikinger,

I have install the NFS client, I can see the share through my network place, as a NFS network- Default LAN, But when I try and connect, get the following error - An Error occurred while connecting to the NFS server, make sure that the client for NFS service has started, (it must be up and running, That is why I can see the share).
If the problem persists make sure client for NFS service can communicate with the usermapping or PCNFS server?? I am not to sure what is mean by user mapping or PCNFS server?

I have created an account on the NFS server called winlogon (ID=1001) and this is the user logon I would like to use to connect to the share.

I think I have to some how set-up the permissions access the share, I think I am close to getting the NFS share working across my local network.

Thanks again for any help.

John

Hi txwikinger,

I have now connected to the share, When connecting as a network share, i had to enter \jb005\winlogon then the password, I was just enter as the logon winlogon.

Thanks for all your help.

Hi txwikinger,

I can now access my shared NFS volume OK, only when i am inside the local network, When i try and connect to the shared NFS volume outside (e.g from home), a dialog box pops up asking for a username and password, I have try my username and password but it will not allow me to connect, Do i have to allow WAN access to the share NFS volume, Or do i have a assign a group or a user to the share NFS voulme?

I can connect to the server using VNC client on my laptop OK, So the router is allowing traffic to the server.

Thanks once again for your help

John

1) Do you have a firewall or something in between ?

It may be that certain ports are blocked while others are not.

2) look at your nfs configuration and authentication. It could be that it is limited to local ip addresses.

If you want to paste the config files here... just make sure to delete secret information from it

txwikinger,

Which files info do you need, /etc/fstab - /etc/exports?

Cheers

John

I mean specifically hosts.allow and hosts.deny, which determine the access on a host to host or network basis for nfs.

hi txwikinge,

I have not entered anything in /etc/hosts.allow or /etc/hosts.deny. if i enter the IP range for the loacl network eg 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0, in (rw,sync) in /etc/hosts.allow, Cannot acces the shared NFS volume, a box pops up asking for a user name and password, But i tried all the username and password and still i cannot get access to the shared volume, But if i leave the /etc/host.allow with no ip address, then i can connect OK?

Pop up box is showing when connecting

NFS Logon Successful

UserName: John_laptop/Sam
UID : -2
Primary GID : -2

It's driving me mad.....help!!!!!!!?????

Thanks

John

The syntax for the hosts.allow and hosts.deny files are a little different. Here is a good webpage explaining it:

http://ezine.daemonnews.org/200206/hosts_allow.html

I hope this helps.

Hello
I am 95% of the way to mapping my NFS volume working, I can connect OK when in the local net, From outside the local net i can see the server an the share, a digalog pops comes up asking for a username, I have tried all the usernames nd pawword, And i still cannot get access?, I need to know how to set-up access to the NFS shared voulme using a username and password, !!!!?

This is infomation when i have connected locally.
.
C:\Documents and Settings\Sam>rpcinfo -p

   program version protocol port
--------------------------------------------------
    100000 2 udp 111 portmapper
    100000 2 tcp 111 portmapper

C:\Documents and Settings\Sam>mount

Local Remote Properties
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Z: \\jb005\mnt\share UID=-2, GID=-2
                                                rsize=32768, wsize=32768
                                                mount=soft, timeout=0.8
                                                retry=1, locking=yes
                                                fileaccess=777, lang=ANSI
                                                casesensitive=no

Thanks once more

John

You said in your original question that your /etc/exports file contained the IP range "192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0". If you want to be able to access your NFS share from outside this local network, you need to add the IP address of the machine you're trying to connect from here, in /etc/exports, and restart the NFS service.

Hope this helps!

You'll need to start "User Name Mapping" service & map user.

0. Transfer the UNIX passwd & group file to your local drive (e.g., C:\SFU\etc)
1. Click 'Control Panel' -> Administrative Tools -> Services
2. Set "User Name Mapping" to "Automatic".
3. Click 'Control Panel' -> Administrative Tools -> Services for UNIX Administration
4. Right Click on 'User Name Mapping' -> Start
5. Click "User Name Mapping"
    - Check "Use Password and Group files"
    - Set the path for passwd & group files.
6. Click "Maps" -> "Show User Maps" & set the mapping manually.

For more details, please refer to the following URL:

http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Access_NFS_via_SFU