Mark Muhlestein wrote:

Alan wrote:

...

One problem is that in workgroup mode NTFS security isn't available. In fact, no real security is available...

This isn't quite right. If you are running with ONTAP 6.1.1 or later you can create up to 96 local users in workgroup mode and use NTFS security with NTLM authentication. Even without local users you can use UNIX-style security if you are willing to use /etc/passwd accounts (which unfortunately implies the use of plaintext passwords over the wire during CIFS login).

However, it is true that for the very best available CIFS security (which uses Kerberos authentication) you do have to have the filer installed in a Win2k domain.

Hi Mark,

I just tried this on a lab filer here running 6.4.1R1 and in workgroup mode on an NT4.0 Workstation client (as still used by many of our government Novell customers - some are even still using Win98...) the mapped drive still shows up as FAT - no ACL's. I'll look into this further but I don't see how you're going to get ACL's on basic Windows peer-to-peer networking.

Win2K local user account ACL's may work with WinXP workstations, but most customers using NetApp for home directories have hundreds or thousands of users. For only 96 or less users you're not going to buy a NetApp primarily for home dirs... (unless you have too much money to play with and believe in overkill, or they are VERY I/O intensive users, i.e. graphic artists, CAD etc :o) )

In any case, the issue here isn't whether you can use fun workarounds to implement some security - you could use hidden shares to obscure user's home dirs from each other but that's not the same as real permissions. And yes you can map to Unix accounts on the filer and use Unix security. But the real issue is how can this be administered from Novell eDirectory as a resource with managed security. Local accounts (whether Unix or post-Ontap 6.1.1 Win2K local accounts) on the filer don't help, the Novell eDirectory server somehow needs to be the primary account management server before most Novell admins will accept the solution.

Personally, I wish we didn't have to deal with Novell environments but there are still too many around to ignore it. *sigh*

Do you know what the status is WRT LDAP authentication in OnTap?

Regards,

Alan.

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