Hi
I have finally created a proper cifs driver for ESX 3. This is a backported driver from newer Linux 2.6 kernels which replaces the older smbfs driver which is used to mount Windows file shares on a ESX server.
The cifs driver supports files larger than 2GB and has far better network throughput. In some cases I have seen 35MB/s file transfers from ESX 3 to Windows 2003. The cifs driver also supports SMB packet signing which W2003 servers use.
I use this driver to do backups and move virtual machines. The driver has been running for weeks on 2 of my ESX servers doing file backups of 150GB every night.
Anyone interested in testing ? I have the compiled driver and the source code.
Regards,
Espen Blikstad
Yes please, sounds interesting! Can you host the code somewhere or email it to the address in my profile?
What version have you backported?
I agreee with Alex, very interested..!! Sounds great..
Please post link..
i`m als interested!
thanks for creating/sharing it!
btw:
maybe this is something for the user solutions sub-forum!
Message was edited by:
devzero
I have published 2 RPM's for installing the CIFS driver at:
http://89.105.41.70/sites/esx/default.aspx
I will be posting the source code shortly.
Espen
Excellent, thanks! Will test this out when I get a chance and let you know I get on.
Sourcecode is now posted at the same address as the RPM's.
Espen
Hey Espen,
There was a recent thread here http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=649966򞫮 that used the old style of Samba. I included an updated, shortened howto based on the original post using your CIFS module. This is how I got it working on my ESX3 server. Thanks so much for your tools and kernel module.
How does one UN-install this CIFS kernel module if one no longer needs it??
Thank you, Tom
Better yet! Get VMware to certify IT!
Hi Espen,
do you have RPMs for ESX 3.0.2? The kernel module package will not install because of failed dependencies:
rpm -Uvh kernel-module-cifs-2.4.21-37.0.2.ELvmnix-1.45-1.i386.rpm --test
error: Failed dependencies:
/boot/vmlinux-2.4.21-37.0.2.ELvmnix is needed by kernel-module-cifs-2.4.21-37.0.2.ELvmnix-1.45-1
Can I just force the install or is a new package required because the SC kernel version changed to vmlinux-2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix?
Regards,
Jan
Hi There
We had the same problem on one of our test servers that we tried the CIFS driver on and found the easiest way to do the upgrade using the CD and it all upgraded OK.
Leonard...
Hi Leonard,
thanks for your reply, but I do not have a problem after upgrading, I tried to install the CIFS package on a freshly installed ESX 3.0.2.
I found out I can install them with rpm --nodeps, then copy the cifs module from
/lib/modules/2.4.21-37.0.2.ELvmnix/kernel/fs/cifs/ to
/lib/modules/2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix/kernel/fs/cifs/
and after running "depmod -av /lib/modules/2.4.21-47.0.1.ELvmnix/" the module loaded fine and I could mount and use a share with "mount -t cifs".
I am not sure if this is safe or if one has to rebuild a new module from the sources.
Regards,
Jan