NFS Share on Windows 2003 Storage Server not showing the files

[OTD]

I setup a NFS Share on a Windows 2003 Storage Server as follows;

1. Made a directory called iso on one of the drives

2. Selected Sharing and Security then the NFS Sharing tab

3. Selected Share this folder

4. Left encoding set to ANSI

5. Selected Permissions and changed the ALL Machines settings to Read/Write and root Access allowed

6. I added the NFS share to the ESX v3.02 server

Now here is where my problem lies, I can see the disk. It shows the right amount of capacity and free space. But the ISO file I copied into the directory does not show up.

I went back and tried checking the Allow anonymous access but when I browse the datastore from VC the directory still does not show any files.

Any ideas?

[Texiwill · Accepted solution]

Hello,

When you added the NFS share to the ESX server did you use it as an NFS based datastore or via the service console.

WHat are the permissions on the iso file? Generally it is a permission issue.

Best regards,

Edward

[paulmack]

I had the same problem doing this. Never did manage to figure it out and went with a SMB mount option instead.

Create a folder in your vmimages folder. say ISO-Store.

open smb client on your esx firewall

issue the following at SC:

mount -t smbfs //servername/sharename /vmimages/ISO-Store -o username=\[username to connect to server] You'll then be prompted to enter a password.

This mounts the share into the ISO-Store folder you created and you can access ISO images stored within.

I also created a local user on the windows server to access the share.

You'll have to remount this if you reboot your esx server. I'll get back in a minute with how to make this mount automatically on boot up.

Cheers

Paul

[paulmack]

To make your ESX server mount this when it restarts do the following:

Edit /etc/fstab using Nano

Add the following line to the bottom of the file: “//servername/sharename /vmimages/ISO-Store smbfs noauto,username= 0 0”

Edit /etc/rc.local using Nano

Add the following line to the bottom of the file “mount –a”

[OTD]

I added a VMKernel port with IP address to vSwitch0 which had the Service Console Port on it.

I added the NFS Share by selecting Add Storage from the Storage selection under Configuration.

This was all done with the VI Client connected the VirtualCenter Server v2.02 with the ESX Server highlighted in the left-hand pane.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Great, we know how you did it... What NFS tool are you using on Windows?

Could you try the following from the SC:

esxcfg-nas -l

esxcfg-vmknic -l

esxcfg-route -l

ls /vmfs/volumes/ actually exist in /vmfs/volumes?

Does /var/log/vmkernel have any useful messages regarding NFS?

Best regards,

Edward

[OTD]

Sorry Texiwill I missed the second question.

I added the user Everyone to both the file and the folder and gave them both full permission. The ISO still did not show up when I selected Browse the Data store.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

That should work.... However, what really matters is the NFS server you are using. Is the data store a disk label or a directory within the disk. I.e. is is D:\ or D:\isos? That makes a difference.

Best regards,

Edward

[OTD]

Edward,

esxcfg-nas –l

NFS01 is /iso from 10.XX.X.XX mounted (IP address Xed out)

esxcfg-vmknic -l

Port Group IP Address Netmask Broadcast MAC Address MTU Enabled

VMotion 10.0.0.4 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.255 00:50:56:69:17:1d 1514 true

NFS Access 10.XX.XX.XX 255.255.248.0 10.XX.XX.XXX 00:50:56:6d:cb:83 1514 true

esxcfg-route -l

VM Kernel Routes:

Network Netmask Gateway

10.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 Local Subnet

10.XX.X.X XXX.XXX.XXX.X Local Subnet

default 0.0.0.0 10.XX.X.X

ls /vmfs/volumes/NFS01

ls: reading directory /vmfs/volumes/NFS01: Permission denied

ls /vmfs/volumes

ESX04-VMFS-Local

SAN-VMFS-LUN07

NFS01

SAN-VMFS-LUN08

I can change to the NFS01 volume but am not able to list the directory, so you are right it is a permissions problem. Let me look around some.

Thanks for the quick responces,

Rob

[OTD]

Edward,

The directory I am sharing is F:\iso.

When I added it in VirtualCenter Server I entered the Server IP address under Server and /iso for the folder (tried it as \iso also).

The OS on the Server is Windows 2003 Storage Server and under add remove programs everything under "Microsoft Services for NFS" is checked except for NFS Client.

Thanks,

Rob

[bjd145-1]

Did you setup user mappings for the NFS share on Windows?

I've had ESX using a Windows NFS share for over a year now and everything I can't browse the files is because user mapping is not setup.

Take the /etc/passwd file from one of your ESX servers and then map root to local administrator

[OTD]

Edward pointed me in the right direction and bjd145-1 told me how to do it.

Thank you both for the quick answers.

I used the Microsoft Services for NFS MMC to do a mapping between the local administrator account on the windows box and the root account on the EXS box by using the passwd file that was on the ESX box.