The following sections are provided only as introductory information. For more information about using NetStorage, see the NW 6.5 SP8: NetStorage Administration Guide.
The inherent value of NetStorage lies in its ability to connect users with various servers and file systems. Some connections are created automatically depending on the OES platform where NetStorage is installed. Other connections must be created by the network administrator.
Table 17-12 NetStorage Access Summary
To provide access to file systems not listed in Table 17-12, you must create Storage Location objects in eDirectory. For instructions on creating Storage Locations, see the following:
For Linux: Creating a Storage Location Object
in the OES 2 SP2: NetStorage for Linux Administration Guide
For NetWare: Creating a Storage Location Object
in the NW 6.5 SP8: NetStorage Administration Guide
If you plan to use SSH storage locations, be aware that by default any users who are enabled for Samba cannot access data stored at the SSH locations. Additional steps are required to grant simultaneous access to Samba and SSH. For more information, see Section 11.4, SSH Services on OES 2 Linux.
Novell iFolder 2 access in NetStorage is controlled through the iFolder Storage Provider task in iManager and does not involve Storage Location objects. For more information about the iManager task, see the context-sensitive help in iManager.
Because NetStorage provides access to other file storage systems, the users and groups that access the other systems through NetStorage must be created and granted file and directory access on those systems.
For example:
NetWare users must exist in the eDirectory tree where the NetWare server resides and have access rights to the files and directories on the NetWare server.
Windows users must exist on the Windows systems and have the required access rights to the files and directories on those systems.
If your users will access Samba files on an OES 2 Linux server, they must be enabled for LUM and Samba access on the OES 2 Linux server. For more information, see Services in OES 2 Linux That Require LUM-Enabled Access.
IMPORTANT:The usernames and passwords used to authenticate to the NetStorage (OES) server through eDirectory must match the usernames and passwords defined on the target systems.
The OES installation establishes a primary authentication domain for NetStorage. To access any storage location, users must exist somewhere in this primary domain. When it receives an authentication request, NetStorage searches for the username in the context you specified during OES installation and in all its subcontexts.
Authentication to other file systems is often controlled by other authentication domains. For example, you might create a storage location on the OES 2 server that points to a NetWare server that resides in a different eDirectory tree. To access this storage location, users must authenticate to the other tree.
This means that you must specify an additional context in the NetStorage configuration as a nonprimary authentication domain.
When defining a nonprimary authentication domain, you must
Ensure that the username and password in the nonprimary domain matches the username and password in the primary domain.
Specify the exact context where User objects reside. NetStorage doesn’t search the subcontexts of nonprimary authentication domains.
For more information about managing NetStorage authentication domains, see Authentication Domains
in the NW 6.5 SP8: NetStorage Administration Guide and see Authentication Domains
in the OES 2 SP2: NetStorage for Linux Administration Guide.
By default, users must reauthenticate each time they access NetStorage in a browser. This is true even if another browser window is open and authenticated on the same workstation.
The reason for this is that persistent cookies are not enabled by default.
This setting can be changed. For more information, see Persistent Cookies
in the NW 6.5 SP8: NetStorage Administration Guide and Persistent Cookies
in the OES 2 SP2: NetStorage for Linux Administration Guide.
Your NetStorage installation can change as your network changes and evolves by providing access to new or consolidated storage locations. For information about the kinds of tasks you can perform to keep your NetStorage implementation current, see the following:
For Linux: OES 2 SP2: NetStorage for Linux Administration Guide
For NetWare: NW 6.5 SP8: NetStorage Administration Guide