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  76 ><A
  77 NAME="MSDFS">Chapter 13. Hosting a Microsoft Distributed File System tree on Samba</H1
  78 ><DIV
  79 CLASS="SECT1"
  80 ><H1
  81 CLASS="SECT1"
  82 ><A
  83 NAME="AEN1859">13.1. Instructions</H1
  84 ><P
  85 >The Distributed File System (or Dfs) provides a means of
  86         separating the logical view of files and directories that users
  87         see from the actual physical locations of these resources on the
  88         network. It allows for higher availability, smoother storage expansion,
  89         load balancing etc. For more information about Dfs, refer to  <A
  90 HREF="http://www.microsoft.com/NTServer/nts/downloads/winfeatures/NTSDistrFile/AdminGuide.asp"
  91 TARGET="_top"
  92 >       Microsoft documentation</A
  93 >. </P
  94 ><P
  95 >This document explains how to host a Dfs tree on a Unix
  96         machine (for Dfs-aware clients to browse) using Samba.</P
  97 ><P
  98 >To enable SMB-based DFS for Samba, configure it with the
  99         <TT
 100 CLASS="PARAMETER"
 101 ><I
 102 >--with-msdfs</I
 103 ></TT
 104 > option. Once built, a
 105         Samba server can be made a Dfs server by setting the global
 106         boolean <A
 107 HREF="smb.conf.5.html#HOSTMSDFS"
 108 TARGET="_top"
 109 ><TT
 110 CLASS="PARAMETER"
 111 ><I
 112 >       host msdfs</I
 113 ></TT
 114 ></A
 115 > parameter in the <TT
 116 CLASS="FILENAME"
 117 >smb.conf
 118         </TT
 119 > file. You designate a share as a Dfs root using the share
 120         level boolean <A
 121 HREF="smb.conf.5.html#MSDFSROOT"
 122 TARGET="_top"
 123 ><TT
 124 CLASS="PARAMETER"
 125 ><I
 126 >       msdfs root</I
 127 ></TT
 128 ></A
 129 > parameter. A Dfs root directory on
 130         Samba hosts Dfs links in the form of symbolic links that point
 131         to other servers. For example, a symbolic link
 132         <TT
 133 CLASS="FILENAME"
 134 >junction-&gt;msdfs:storage1\share1</TT
 135 > in
 136         the share directory acts as the Dfs junction. When Dfs-aware
 137         clients attempt to access the junction link, they are redirected
 138         to the storage location (in this case, \\storage1\share1).</P
 139 ><P
 140 >Dfs trees on Samba work with all Dfs-aware clients ranging
 141         from Windows 95 to 2000.</P
 142 ><P
 143 >Here's an example of setting up a Dfs tree on a Samba
 144         server.</P
 145 ><P
 146 ><PRE
 147 CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING"
 148 ># The smb.conf file:
 149 [global]
 150         netbios name = SAMBA
 151         host msdfs   = yes
 152
 153 [dfs]
 154         path = /export/dfsroot
 155         msdfs root = yes
 156         </PRE
 157 ></P
 158 ><P
 159 >In the /export/dfsroot directory we set up our dfs links to
 160         other servers on the network.</P
 161 ><P
 162 ><TT
 163 CLASS="PROMPT"
 164 >root# </TT
 165 ><TT
 166 CLASS="USERINPUT"
 167 ><B
 168 >cd /export/dfsroot</B
 169 ></TT
 170 ></P
 171 ><P
 172 ><TT
 173 CLASS="PROMPT"
 174 >root# </TT
 175 ><TT
 176 CLASS="USERINPUT"
 177 ><B
 178 >chown root /export/dfsroot</B
 179 ></TT
 180 ></P
 181 ><P
 182 ><TT
 183 CLASS="PROMPT"
 184 >root# </TT
 185 ><TT
 186 CLASS="USERINPUT"
 187 ><B
 188 >chmod 755 /export/dfsroot</B
 189 ></TT
 190 ></P
 191 ><P
 192 ><TT
 193 CLASS="PROMPT"
 194 >root# </TT
 195 ><TT
 196 CLASS="USERINPUT"
 197 ><B
 198 >ln -s msdfs:storageA\\shareA linka</B
 199 ></TT
 200 ></P
 201 ><P
 202 ><TT
 203 CLASS="PROMPT"
 204 >root# </TT
 205 ><TT
 206 CLASS="USERINPUT"
 207 ><B
 208 >ln -s msdfs:serverB\\share,serverC\\share linkb</B
 209 ></TT
 210 ></P
 211 ><P
 212 >You should set up the permissions and ownership of
 213         the directory acting as the Dfs root such that only designated
 214         users can create, delete or modify the msdfs links. Also note
 215         that symlink names should be all lowercase. This limitation exists
 216         to have Samba avoid trying all the case combinations to get at
 217         the link name. Finally set up the symbolic links to point to the
 218         network shares you want, and start Samba.</P
 219 ><P
 220 >Users on Dfs-aware clients can now browse the Dfs tree
 221         on the Samba server at \\samba\dfs. Accessing
 222         links linka or linkb (which appear as directories to the client)
 223         takes users directly to the appropriate shares on the network.</P
 224 ><DIV
 225 CLASS="SECT2"
 226 ><H2
 227 CLASS="SECT2"
 228 ><A
 229 NAME="AEN1894">13.1.1. Notes</H2
 230 ><P
 231 ></P
 232 ><UL
 233 ><LI
 234 ><P
 235 >Windows clients need to be rebooted
 236                         if a previously mounted non-dfs share is made a dfs
 237                         root or vice versa. A better way is to introduce a
 238                         new share and make it the dfs root.</P
 239 ></LI
 240 ><LI
 241 ><P
 242 >Currently there's a restriction that msdfs
 243                         symlink names should all be lowercase.</P
 244 ></LI
 245 ><LI
 246 ><P
 247 >For security purposes, the directory
 248                         acting as the root of the Dfs tree should have ownership
 249                         and permissions set so that only designated users can
 250                         modify the symbolic links in the directory.</P
 251 ></LI
 252 ></UL
 253 ></DIV
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