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Enable NAS storage for Windows servers using SMB

Contributors netapp-forry netapp-aherbin netapp-thomi netapp-barbe netapp-ahibbard
PDFs

Create or modify storage VMs to enable SMB servers for serving data to Windows clients.

This procedure enables a new or existing storage VM for the SMB protocol. It is assumed that configuration details are available for any networking, authentication, or security services required in your environment.

workflow diagram for enabling NAS for Windows servers using SMB

Steps

  1. Enable SMB on a storage VM.

    1. For new storage VMs: click Storage > Storage VMs, click Add, enter a storage VM name, and in the SMB/CIFS, NFS, S3 tab, select Enable SMB/CIFS.

      • Enter the following information:

        • Administrator name and password

        • Server name

        • Active directory domain

      • Confirm the Organizational Unit.

      • Confirm the DNS values.

      • Confirm the default language.

      • Add network interfaces.

      • Update storage VM administrator account information (optional).

    2. For existing storage VMs:: click Storage > Storage VMs, select a storage VM, click Settings, and then click settings icon under SMB.

  2. Open the export policy of the storage VM root volume:

    1. Click Storage > Volumes, select the root volume of the storage VM (which by default is volume-name_root), and then click on the policy that is displayed under Export Policy.

    2. Click Add to add a rule.

      • Client specification = 0.0.0.0/0

      • Access protocols = SMB

      • Access details = NTFS Read-Only

  3. Configure DNS for host-name resolution:

    1. Click Storage > Storage VMs, select the storage VM, click Settings, and then click settings icon under DNS.

    2. Switch to the DNS server and map the SMB server.

      • Create forward (A - Address record) and reverse (PTR - Pointer record) lookup entries to map the SMB server name to the IP address of the data network interface.

      • If you use NetBIOS aliases, create an alias canonical name (CNAME resource record) lookup entry to map each alias to the IP address of the SMB server's data network interface.

  4. Configure name services as required

    1. Click Storage > Storage VMs, select the storage VM, click Settings, and then click settings icon under LDAP or NIS.

    2. Include any changes in the name services switch file: click edit icon under Name Services Switch.

  5. Configure Kerberos if required:

    1. Click Storage > Storage VMs, select the storage VM, and then click Settings.

    2. Click arrow icon under Kerberos and then click Add.