[Samba] msdfs root -- client error "refers to a location that is unavailable"

[Paul B. Henson]

I'm trying to get Samba 3.0.28 to work as an MS Dfs root providing a share
that links home directories to the actual servers they reside on.

Unfortunately, when I access the share from a Windows XP client, and try to
open one of the directories, the client gives an error that it "refers to a
location that is unavailable".

I've done a lot of searching, and found a number of similar issues raised,
but sadly no real resolutions.

Samba was attached to our active directory domain with "net ads join",
which worked perfectly and authentication seems fine.

My configuration is as follows:

-----
[global]
        allow trusted domains = no
        deadtime = 10
        debug pid = yes
        disable netbios = yes
        lanman auth = no
        load printers = no
        log level = 1
        map archive = no
        name resolve order = host
        passdb backend = tdbsam
        realm = WIN.CSUPOMONA.EDU
        restrict anonymous = 2
        security = ads
        server signing = auto
        show add printer wizard = no
        smb ports = 445
        workgroup = WIN
        max log size = 512000

[user]
        msdfs root = yes
        path = /var/lib/samba/shares/user
-----

I'm only running smbd, not nmbd, as I don't want to use NetBIOS naming. The
server is being accessed with a fully qualified name
'\\files.unx.csupomona.edu\user'.

In the configured share directory, I made a symbolic link as documented:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 35 Mar 10 16:26 henson -> msdfs:zfs1.unx.csupomona.edu\henson


I'm pretty sure the Samba configuration itself is okay, accessing the share
with smbclient works correctly and appropriately follows the link.


With debugging enabled, I also see the following message logged:

[2008/03/11 15:10:29, 5, pid=28793] smbd/msdfs.c:is_msdfs_link(337)
  is_msdfs_link: ./henson -> msdfs:zfs1.unx.csupomona.edu\henson


When I try to access it from a Windows client though, I do see this in the
debug log:

[2008/03/11 15:16:19, 5, pid=28904]
smbd/trans2.c:get_lanman2_dir_entry(1215)
  get_lanman2_dir_entry: Masquerading msdfs link ./henson as a directory


I'm not sure that's normal, but seems odd. I'm not sure what all to attach
from the debug log, it is rather large. The following seems associated with
that request though:


  size=86
  smb_com=0x32
  smb_rcls=0
  smb_reh=0
  smb_err=0
  smb_flg=24
  smb_flg2=51207
  smb_tid=1
  smb_pid=3264
  smb_uid=103
  smb_mid=2432
  smt_wct=15
  smb_vwv[ 0]=   18 (0x12)
  smb_vwv[ 1]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 2]=   10 (0xA)
  smb_vwv[ 3]=16384 (0x4000)
  smb_vwv[ 4]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 5]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 6]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 7]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 8]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 9]=   18 (0x12)
  smb_vwv[10]=   68 (0x44)
  smb_vwv[11]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[12]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[13]=    1 (0x1)
  smb_vwv[14]=    1 (0x1)
  smb_bcc=21


I think the following messages correspond to the error I am receiving from
the client:


[2008/03/11 15:16:26, 3, pid=28904]
smbd/trans2.c:call_trans2qfilepathinfo(3292)
  call_trans2qfilepathinfo: SMB_VFS_STAT of henson failed (No such file or
directory)
[2008/03/11 15:16:26, 3, pid=28904] smbd/error.c:unix_error_packet(56)
  unix_error_packet: error string = No such file or directory
[2008/03/11 15:16:26, 3, pid=28904] smbd/error.c:error_packet_set(106)
  error packet at smbd/trans2.c(3293) cmd=50 (SMBtrans2)
NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_NOT_FOUND

I think these are the flags relevant to that transaction:

  size=90
  smb_com=0x32
  smb_rcls=0
  smb_reh=0
  smb_err=0
  smb_flg=24
  smb_flg2=51207
  smb_tid=1
  smb_pid=3264
  smb_uid=103
  smb_mid=3841
  smt_wct=15
  smb_vwv[ 0]=   22 (0x16)
  smb_vwv[ 1]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 2]=    2 (0x2)
  smb_vwv[ 3]=   40 (0x28)
  smb_vwv[ 4]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 5]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 6]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 7]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 8]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[ 9]=   22 (0x16)
  smb_vwv[10]=   68 (0x44)
  smb_vwv[11]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[12]=    0 (0x0)
  smb_vwv[13]=    1 (0x1)
  smb_vwv[14]=    5 (0x5)
  smb_bcc=25


Any ideas what's going on? In previous postings regarding this type of
problem, it sounds like the Windows client is somewhat nondeterministic in
whether or not it is willing to treat a given share as a DFS root?

Any suggestions for additional debugging data that might be provided to
further isolate the issue?

Thanks much for any assistance...


-- 
Paul B. Henson  |  (909) 979-6361  |  http://www.csupomona.edu/~henson/
Operating Systems and Network Analyst  |  henson at csupomona.edu
California State Polytechnic University  |  Pomona CA 91768