NAS experiences with Windows/Solaris environment

[Shrp]

Hi,

We have a mixed environment of Sun/Solaris and Windows clients, and were looking for a NAS solution that would easily share files with both these clients – with support for NTFS filesystems, active directory, group policies, and then the NFS side. We’ve been doing this so far with Samba, but wanted to check the advantages of the other solutions out there.

What are the general experiences with potential solutions in this area? I'm specifically interested in each NAS's ability to securely and quickly share files to both Windows and Solaris clients, and what the issues are with each.

Thanks!
Randy

 

[victorv]

hi,
a NAS is simply a computer with shares,
suppose Linux based, with also SAMBA installed, or
Windows based + NFS (like SFU).

But it's a computer specialized in storage (he has
raid capability, redoundance, and it is more robust:
its OS is on flash, virus with difficult can attach it.

But the protocol/permission limitations are the same,
maby in a standard server you can add services, installing programs.

Deploying these mixed enviroments, I have noted the differences and conflict,between Windows/NTFS permissions versus simple Unix ones.

I have used Unix box samba enabled, and sometime is hard,
put this machine in domain (2k,2k3). Sometime, in little
environments, I have installed NFS over a Window server.

It depends from the majority (and importance) of the clients, for a same file. If the files are distinguished,
no problem, if they are shared, probably you have to limit the NTFS properties to accomplish unix ones. It is difficult to enumerate more than one user/group that can do/dont something in Win env and reflect this in Unix.

What I want say, is that trere is not a "magic" solution that solves any problem: you have to compute/evaluate
strengths and weaknesses and decide what you can renounce.

bye
vic

 

[RMGBELGIUM]

Buy a dedicated nas box if you have the budget that has this functionality.Top of the list is NetApp gear.Acts as a domain server, auth to AD, kerberos security,SMB signing,..
And the NFS part is covered as well, allowing local auth, NIS,...

rgds,

R.

NetApp Certified NCDA/NCIE-SAN