Mac users cant see files stored from Windows users in W2003-Share

[msnews.microsoft.com]

Hi,

we just installed two Win2003 Enterprise Servers as Cluster Nodes. Also node
1 contains the File services for Macintosh (not Cluster aware). At the node
1 we share one folder only for the Macs (and not for Windows) as MAC_Data.
At the virtual cluster we share the folder "Team" for the Windows users. The
MAC_Data folder is a subfolder of this Team folder. So the Mac users can
access via the MAC_Data share and the Window users via the clusters "Team"
share.

If Mac users put files into the MAC_Data share, both (Mac and Windows users)
can see and access this files. If Windows users puts files via the
Team\Mac_Data folder there, only the Windows users can see this files - but
no of the Mac users ?

I suppose this is not an cluster problem, it seems to be a problem that both
user groups access the data share in two different ways: The Macs access the
shared folder created with File Services for Macintosh and the Windows users
does not have this share, they use another share which contains the mac
folder. Can I solve the problem if I also share the MAC_Data for the Winodws
users and ask them to only access (put files into) with the MAC_Data folder
at node 1 and not via the Team\Mac-Data folder at the Windows 2003 server
(cluster) ? I know, after the cluster makes a failover to node 2, then node
1 will lost the access to the shares (RAID5) and both users have via node 1
no access.
Or is there another problem ?

We first copy the folders and files from the old fileserver to the new
RAID-system. Then we install the File Services for Macintosh. I see a hint
in one discussion with a similar problem, they called MS PSS and they ask to
recreate a new folder, share it for Macs, and then copy the files into the
share. After them the Mac users can see all files, copied fromWindows users
in this share. Will this solve the problem ?

Any tips are welcome. Thank you very mutch.

Rainer

 

[William M. Smith]

Hi,

we just installed two Win2003 Enterprise Servers as Cluster Nodes. Also node
1 contains the File services for Macintosh (not Cluster aware). At the node
1 we share one folder only for the Macs (and not for Windows) as MAC_Data.
At the virtual cluster we share the folder "Team" for the Windows users. The
MAC_Data folder is a subfolder of this Team folder. So the Mac users can
access via the MAC_Data share and the Window users via the clusters "Team"
share.

If Mac users put files into the MAC_Data share, both (Mac and Windows users)
can see and access this files. If Windows users puts files via the
Team\Mac_Data folder there, only the Windows users can see this files - but
no of the Mac users ?

I suppose this is not an cluster problem, it seems to be a problem that both
user groups access the data share in two different ways: The Macs access the
shared folder created with File Services for Macintosh and the Windows users
does not have this share, they use another share which contains the mac
folder. Can I solve the problem if I also share the MAC_Data for the Winodws
users and ask them to only access (put files into) with the MAC_Data folder
at node 1 and not via the Team\Mac-Data folder at the Windows 2003 server
(cluster) ? I know, after the cluster makes a failover to node 2, then node
1 will lost the access to the shares (RAID5) and both users have via node 1
no access.
Or is there another problem ?

We first copy the folders and files from the old fileserver to the new
RAID-system. Then we install the File Services for Macintosh. I see a hint
in one discussion with a similar problem, they called MS PSS and they ask to
recreate a new folder, share it for Macs, and then copy the files into the
share. After them the Mac users can see all files, copied fromWindows users
in this share. Will this solve the problem ?

Hi Rainer!

I'm a novice at clusters, but how are the files placed on the one cluster
machine replicated to the other cluster machine? Is it suppose to be
simultaneous or should a replication service be activated? Have you verified
that the files placed by the Windows clients are indeed appearing on all
machines in the cluster?

Normally, having a Mac volume at a deeper level within a Windows share
should work without problems, but I couldn't say how a cluster would affect
this.

bill

 

[msnews.microsoft.com]

Hi William,

there is one external RAID5 disk system which and both cluster nodes are
physically connected with this external RAID5 System SCSI-Controllers
simultanous. So the datas are only once in the RAID5 subsystem. The cluster
software will manage which node of the cluster can access the RAID5
subsystem - at every tome only one node has access to it and this is the
active cluster node. If the active node fails (e.g.unexpected shutdown), the
cluster software at the other node recognizes that and takes ownership of
the external RAID5 subsystem. The Windows users access the datas at this
RAID5 subsystem not via the nodes, they access via the virtual cluster name.
The cluster gets an independant server name and an ip address, so the
virtual cluster can be accessed like normal servers (e.g.
\\clustername\sharename).

What I don t know is, if the Windows users access the Mac datas with e.g.
\\clustername\Team\MAC_Data and the Macs via \\Node1\MAC_Data , if the
windows users really put the files through the MAC-file Service from node 1
into the Mac directory. Maybe the MAC-Fileservice does not recognize that
windows users putting new datas into this directory and so this service
cannot build the Mac data and resource forks ? Because normally both users
use the same servername, we use different servernames.

Regards,
Rainer

 

[William M. Smith]

Hi William,

there is one external RAID5 disk system which and both cluster nodes are
physically connected with this external RAID5 System SCSI-Controllers
simultanous. So the datas are only once in the RAID5 subsystem. The cluster
software will manage which node of the cluster can access the RAID5
subsystem - at every tome only one node has access to it and this is the
active cluster node. If the active node fails (e.g.unexpected shutdown), the
cluster software at the other node recognizes that and takes ownership of
the external RAID5 subsystem. The Windows users access the datas at this
RAID5 subsystem not via the nodes, they access via the virtual cluster name.
The cluster gets an independant server name and an ip address, so the
virtual cluster can be accessed like normal servers (e.g.
\\clustername\sharename).

What I don t know is, if the Windows users access the Mac datas with e.g.
\\clustername\Team\MAC_Data and the Macs via \\Node1\MAC_Data , if the
windows users really put the files through the MAC-file Service from node 1
into the Mac directory. Maybe the MAC-Fileservice does not recognize that
windows users putting new datas into this directory and so this service
cannot build the Mac data and resource forks ? Because normally both users
use the same servername, we use different servernames.

Hi Rainer!

Again, I'm no expert, but I believe from what you describe that this should
work. One set of data should be visible from both servers in the cluster.

Since the Mac File Services simply pulls its directory listing from the
Windows system, something is probably wrong with your Mac volume. You'll
certainly see no resource forks from the Windows created files, but you
should still see the data.

Which came first? The cluster or the Mac volume? You might try deleting and
recreating the Mac volume to see if this clears the problem.

Let me know what you find. I can request some expert cluster MVPs to chime
in as well.

bill