[Samba] Samba 3.0 and Windows Files

[Kevin P. Fleming]

Laurent Thiers wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I would like to propose a Linux/Samba Filer for people operating a Windows
> PDC + a bunch of W2K and Linux clients so far.

OK.

> 
> Request is create a new NAS storage pool under Linux/Samba 3.0 and to be
> able to keep existing NTFS file security settings (per user).

OK.

> 
> That means that people would progressively move their data to the Linux /
> Samba NAS, these data would be migrated to tape, but we need to maintain the
> current NTFS settings of the files.

You mean the people would move their own files to the NAS?

> 
> Linux / Samba NAS would use existing Active Directory data for user
> registration.

OK.

> 
> Is this possible with Samba ?
> How to format the NAS to do so ? (EXT3 & XFS would "wipe out" current NTFS
> file settings ?)

I just set up a server using XFS, libattr and libacl support and Samba 
configured to use all of that. With Samba joined to ADS, and using 
winbindd on the Samba server to get users and groups from ADS, the use 
of the Samba server is pretty much invisible to the users (other than 
it's faster and more stable than their old server :-), and it fully 
supports NTFS security and other attributes.

If you want to copy the data in bulk over to the Samba server, check 
out the robocopy tool that is included in the Windows 2000/2003 
Resource Kit. It knows how to copy files and also copy over the NTFS 
security settings.