[Samba] Powerpoint file locking issue

[Eric Chris Garrison]

Hello,

We've been seeing a problem with Samba server 3.0.33-0.17 handling lock
files for Microsoft Powerpoint 2007.   The problem is observed in both
Windows XP and Windows Vista.

If a user opens an existing file, smbstatus looks like this:

10781        11021      DENY_WRITE 0x2019f     RDWR       NONE
 /usr/test/dssg   test1234ecg2.pptx   Fri Oct 23 17:21:52 2009
10517        11021      DENY_NONE  0x100001    RDONLY     NONE
 /usr/test/dssg   .   Fri Oct 23 17:06:08 2009
10517        11021      DENY_NONE  0x100001    RDONLY     NONE
 /usr/test/dssg   .   Fri Oct 23 17:06:08 2009
10781        11021      DENY_NONE  0x100001    RDONLY     NONE
 /usr/test/dssg   .   Fri Oct 23 17:16:19 2009
10781        11021      DENY_NONE  0x100001    RDONLY     NONE
 /usr/test/dssg   .   Fri Oct 23 17:16:19 2009
10781        11021      DENY_WRITE 0x3019f     RDWR       EXCLUSIVE+BATCH
 /usr/test/dssg   ~$test1234ecg2.pptx   Fri Oct 23 17:21:52 2009


Notice, there are both test1234ecg2.pptx and ~$test1234ecg2.pptx.

If the user saves, once in awhile (some as often as 1 in 4, some more like
1 in 20 saves), they'll be told that the file is read-only and get offered
to save as a new file name.   When this happens, smbstatus only shows the
~$test1234ecg2.pptx version of the file.

The only way out of this is to exit Powerpoint (after saving to a new
name).  Well, also you can remove the ~ version of the file from the UNIX
side, but Windows won't let you do that.

We have tried the following locking options (one at a time) in smb.conf
without any of them helping:

   reset on zero vc = yes
   strict locking = yes
   locking = yes
   lock spin time = 10000

It may not be relevant, but I'll add that the Samba servers sit on top of
an OpenAFS share.   I say it may not be relevant because I made a local
share and got the same results (shown above), ruling out OpenAFS.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Chris
-- 
Eric Chris Garrison             | Principal Mass Storage Specialist
ecgarris at iupui.edu              | Indiana University - Research Storage
W: 317-278-1207 M: 317-250-8649 | Jabber IM: ecgarris at iupui.edu