Question on Mac files on a Windows 2003 Server

[Adam Raff]

Good Day,

I hope somebody here can shed some light on some things for me. First I
would like to give you some history on my problem

We have two Mac running OS 10.3 they are connected to our domain which is a
Windows 2003. We started out on a Windows NT4.0 went to 2K and now we are
up to Windows 2003. A Mac Volume was created on our NT4.0 server and it
seemed to move over to 2000 fine.

During Boots on the 2000 server I would get a warning saying that I may be
over the limit on files and I may have connectivity issues because of the
amount of files

These errors would come up every time I would Boot the server ( and Reboot).
The clients from what I understood never had any issues connecting.

When we upgraded to 2003 I started getting new errors which are as follows
( I have placed four examples here for you to look at)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Event Type: Error

Event Source: MacFile

Event Category: None

Event ID: 12042

Date: 5/18/2005

Time: 5:47:29 PM

User: N/A

Computer: HSMAIN

Description:

Internal server information for file "\S Drive\Production &
Traffic\Production\Micah\Micah Quotes\49731200:AFP_AfpInfo"

was corrupted. Setting default information.



For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Data:

0000: 35 01 04 00 00 00 00 00 5.......





Event Type: Error

Event Source: MacFile

Event Category: None

Event ID: 12042

Date: 5/18/2005

Time: 4:31:56 PM

User: N/A

Computer: HSMAIN

Description:

Internal server information for file "\S Drive\Compcomg\Finance\Shared
Files\Job File\4E74A100:AFP_AfpInfo"

was corrupted. Setting default information.



For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Data:

0000: 35 01 04 00 00 00 00 00 5.......





Event Type: Error

Event Source: MacFile

Event Category: None

Event ID: 12042

Date: 5/18/2005

Time: 3:08:02 PM

User: N/A

Computer: HSMAIN

Description:

Internal server information for file "\S Drive\Creative
Department\Artcommg\Art Folder\1-Creative Dept Files

(3D Studio Max)\2005\01-template\Design\Freelancer:AFP_AfpInfo" was
corrupted. Setting default information.



For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Data:

0000: 35 01 04 00 00 00 00 00 5.......





Event Type: Error

Event Source: MacFile

Event Category: None

Event ID: 12042

Date: 5/17/2005

Time: 4:14:39 PM

User: N/A

Computer: HSMAIN

Description:

Internal server information for file "\S Drive\Production &
Traffic\Production\Micah\Micah Quotes\AB4A9100:AFP_AfpInfo"

was corrupted. Setting default information.



For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Data:

0000: 35 01 04 00 00 00 00 00 5.......

---------------------------------------------------------------



As you can see all the errors have the same ID number and event source and I
have looked them up on the web most of the errors point to Windows NT so I
am stumped on what to do or even how to do it.



So here are my questions



What is the MacVol on Windows 2003, can somebody give me a little
information on what it does or point me somewhere where I can find info on
it?



What is the amount of files that a Windows 2003 Enterprise Server can handle
when it comes to the Mac and or MacVol



Has anybody ever seen this and if so how do I fix this problem



Is this a problem or just information that the server is giving me in 2003



Any advise would be much appreciated



Thank You

Adam Raff

 

[Jim Seifert [MSFT]]

This looks like index files for the various volumes is corrupt and being
rebuilt on reboot. The index file is a mapping of the file and resource
forks present in the Mac file system but not in the NTFS file system.
Previous releases of Windows Server have rebuilt this index every time the
machine was rebooted and this can make reboots take a very long time to
complete. There are a number of things that can cause this index corruption
to be reported: 1.) Antivirus program activity. 2.) Open files on
shutdown. 3.) Disk errors 4.) Volume index size. - this list probably
isn't complete but should be the main suspects. The easiest one to address
is the open files on reboot. Just making sure the all sessions are closed
can help. Are you having any problems with the shared volumes or access?

 

[Adam Raff]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for respond back to me on this.

To answer your question No. The Mac people seem to be able to get into the
files with no issue. What bothers me is that it seems to be all over and
random when it comes to files. It seems to be affecting from what the log
file says even users files that don't use the Mac just PC.

So would you recommend a reboot of the server just to see what happens?

What do you mean by Volume index size?

We are using Trend Antivirus and had no issues with it.

We use Vertas backup with Open file option and have had no issues with that
either

Thanks
Adam Raff

 

[Jim Seifert [MSFT]]

The volume index size is the size of the index file - it is larger the more
files you have in a volume. Over say 300k files in a volume makes a large
index file that will likely require a rebuild on reboot. Based on your list
I suspect the backup program is touching the files after the Macfile service
shuts down on a reboot resulting in a mismatch and index rebuild on restart.
There is nothing wrong with the index rebuilds, it will take a little more
time but does not impact the files.

 

[Adam Raff]

Hi Jim

Again thanks for your help in this matter. I am planning on a reboot this
week so I can rebuild the index.

If what you say or I understand is that the backup program my be causing
some problems with the index. I should then exclude the file or index from
the backup and antivirus software to make sure that it's not causing any
more problems. So

What is the name of the index file and the location of it on the server?

Thanks
Adam Raff

 

[Adam Raff]

Hi Jim,

I just wanted to update you on what happened. Yesterday I rebooted the
server. Today around 4:00pm I received about eight errors like before with
the same problem corrupt database. Any ideas on what to do now?

Thanks
Adam Raff

 

[Rod Dorman]

I just wanted to update you on what happened. Yesterday I rebooted the
server. Today around 4:00pm I received about eight errors like before with
the same problem corrupt database. Any ideas on what to do now?

Have you run chkdsk on the partition yet?

 

[Adam Raff]

I have seen something similar to this or perhaps the same thing. I am
looking into this and perhaps moving my Mac files to a smaller directory so
that they are within limits as per Microsoft.

I assume that this will not damage the files in any way? It will just
rebuild the database so that you can fix the problem. It was my
understanding also that if you reboot the server that will also rebuild the
database. I have tried this and it did not work.

Adam

 

[William Smith]

I have seen something similar to this or perhaps the same thing. I am
looking into this and perhaps moving my Mac files to a smaller directory so
that they are within limits as per Microsoft.

I assume that this will not damage the files in any way? It will just
rebuild the database so that you can fix the problem. It was my
understanding also that if you reboot the server that will also rebuild the
database. I have tried this and it did not work.

Hi Adam!

The instructions I pointed you to will not affect your Mac files. They
only pertain to the volume index, which keeps track of where files are
located.

Rebooting the server does not always rebuild the volume index. However,
deleting the Mac volume and then recreating it does rebuild the index.
Remember that the Mac volume is similar to a Windows share. You're not
deleting files when you delete a share. You're only deleting the share
point.

Hope this helps! bill

 

[Adam Raff]

Ok,

I have been looking around and may have another idea that may fix this
problem and I will never have to worry about it again.

But upon testing I am having some problems. It involves using SMB instead
of using Mac services since the two Macs are running 10.03. But I am
getting the following and I don't know how to troubleshoot the following:

I can ping the server with both IP and Name with no issues from the Macs in
question

(Please Note: that I have changed the Domain name and IP address)

It is not recognizing the login. This is what I type



SMB://hsmain.smith.net



Our internal network is .net while our external network is .com



From what I have read I should get a login which I get but it's not
recognizing the account. I type in Jeff as the user name and then his
password. It shows SMITH as the domain which is correct. The error that
shows up is:



Connecting to SMB://hsmain.smith.net



Could not connect to server because the Name or Password in not correct



I get the same error as above if I type in the IP address
SMB://172.16.16.16/S drive (S drive is the shared drive that the PC users
can loginto)



or if I try something different



Connecting to smb://hsmain.smith (From this login I should see the shares
and then choose which one I would like to connect to)



The finder cannot complete the operation because some data in
smb://hsmain.smith could not be read or written



Error Code -36



Any ideas

thanks for the help

Adam Raff

 

[Adam Raff]

Ok upon looking around in the group I found an article that talks about the
problem that I am having in the above message. It's about Setting Windows
Server 2003 to allow Mac Connections. I would rather on set my security
down further so before I do anything has anybody tried the following:

Loading a newer version of Samba on a Mac? (Mac G3 running 10.03)

I would love to know more about the Microsoft Use Authentication module?

Thanks
Adam Raff

Ok,

I have been looking around and may have another idea that may fix this
problem and I will never have to worry about it again.

But upon testing I am having some problems. It involves using SMB instead
of using Mac services since the two Macs are running 10.03. But I am
getting the following and I don't know how to troubleshoot the following:

I can ping the server with both IP and Name with no issues from the Macs
in question

(Please Note: that I have changed the Domain name and IP address)

It is not recognizing the login. This is what I type



SMB://hsmain.smith.net



Our internal network is .net while our external network is .com



From what I have read I should get a login which I get but it's not
recognizing the account. I type in Jeff as the user name and then his
password. It shows SMITH as the domain which is correct. The error that
shows up is:



Connecting to SMB://hsmain.smith.net



Could not connect to server because the Name or Password in not correct



I get the same error as above if I type in the IP address
SMB://172.16.16.16/S drive (S drive is the shared drive that the PC users
can loginto)



or if I try something different



Connecting to smb://hsmain.smith (From this login I should see the shares
and then choose which one I would like to connect to)



The finder cannot complete the operation because some data in
smb://hsmain.smith could not be read or written



Error Code -36



Any ideas

thanks for the help

Adam Raff

 

[William Smith]

Ok upon looking around in the group I found an article that talks about the
problem that I am having in the above message. It's about Setting Windows
Server 2003 to allow Mac Connections. I would rather on set my security
down further so before I do anything has anybody tried the following:

Loading a newer version of Samba on a Mac? (Mac G3 running 10.03)

I would love to know more about the Microsoft Use Authentication module?

Hi Adam!

I'd first suggest that you upgrade your Mac's system to at minimum 10.2
or preferably 10.3 or higher. 10.4 is now available and may work on your
G3 with lots of RAM.

SMB hasn't been updated yet to work with Microsoft's Digitally Signed
Communications policy. I don't believe anything is available as of now.
Your only option is to disable the Digitally Sign Communications policy.
Yes, this does reduce your security. This policy is intended to prevent
"man in the middle" attacks where another computer could pose as your
own. Only you can decide how great a risk this is.

As for the Microsoft UAM, this is used with File Services for Macintosh.
It will allow your Mac users to send their passwords to the server in an
encrypted format (not clear text) as well as allow for longer passwords
and better feedback from the server (such as telling a user his account
is locked out rather than telling him he can't connect). It does not
encrypt file sharing traffic.

Hope this helps! bill

 

[Adam Raff]

William, Thanks so much for the info,

Since I am looking at all options, there is one left and that is third party
apps. I have seen a program listed here called ExtremeZ IP. This program
looks good and the price is not bad just for access. With perhaps less
problems then going with SMB or AFP. So I am looking for some more info on
these products.

From a user point of view and Admin how is ExtremeZ IP?
What other products are out there?
What issues have been encountered that may cause more problems such as
backup, antivirus or the such with a third party service?

Thanks again for your insight on this matter
Adam Raff

 

[William Smith]

William, Thanks so much for the info,

Since I am looking at all options, there is one left and that is third party
apps. I have seen a program listed here called ExtremeZ IP. This program
looks good and the price is not bad just for access. With perhaps less
problems then going with SMB or AFP. So I am looking for some more info on
these products.

From a user point of view and Admin how is ExtremeZ IP?
What other products are out there?
What issues have been encountered that may cause more problems such as
backup, antivirus or the such with a third party service?

Hi Adam!

We are transitioning from MacServeIP to ExtremeZ-IP in our organization
primarily because Microsoft's support of AFP 3.1 is too long in coming
and because MacServeIP support for us has been terrible.

We're happy with EZIP and interacting with it from the server side is
very easy. We aren't going to use SMB because it doesn't support
resource forks when sharing with lower level Mac clients (Mac OS 9 and
earlier). Just be sure you're using the latest version of EZIP and your
servers are also up-to-date with their service packs.

Hope this helps! bill

 

[Adam Raff]

William,

After looking at this product it seems that all you need to do is load the
product. You would turn off Mac services before loading.
I assume I could turn off apple talk since the network become a pure IP
network at this time.

So what is the downside then there always is?
Have you had any issues with the product at this time?
We are running 2003 Enterprise Server with no service pack at this time
would that be an issue?

Thanks again for your input on this.
Adam

 

[William Smith]

William,

After looking at this product it seems that all you need to do is load the
product. You would turn off Mac services before loading.
I assume I could turn off apple talk since the network become a pure IP
network at this time.

So what is the downside then there always is?
Have you had any issues with the product at this time?
We are running 2003 Enterprise Server with no service pack at this time
would that be an issue?

Hi Adam!

You would happen to ask this on a day I was at work late working on a
new install of EZIP giving us problems... ~

This Windows 2000 server was running MacServeIP prior to us uninstalling
it and then installing EZIP but I think there are actually legacy
problems caused by the old software. Our Group Logic rep just happened
to call me today and while explaining to him our problem he insisted on
pulling in a technician on our call. They are very customer oriented and
constantly working to develop their product.

So although we are experiencing problems, it may or may not be the EZIP
software and if it is then Group Logic is very willing to assist us.

As far as installing the software, yes, you can install and run EZIP at
the same time as File Services for Macintosh. Group Logic actually has a
kb article for how to do this because they expect folks will want to do
comparison testing.

I would definitely update to the latest service pack for any machine
simply because if you do have problems with the software this will be
one less step in troubleshooting your problem. Installing service packs
requires a reboot and this is often difficult in production environments.

A downside? I think Microsoft should support AFP 3.1 so that we don't
have to purchase third party software, but that's just my opinion.

Hope this helps! bill

 

[Paul Nelson]

You might want to look into DAVE or ADmitMac also. Each of these support
SMB signing and resource fork handling that is fully compatible with SFM
dand ExtremeZ. ADmitMac supports MacOS 10.2-10.3 and will begin BETA at the
end of this month. DAVE supports Mac OS 9 through 10.3, and will ship for
Tiger at the end of August.

www.thursby.com

Paul Nelson

William,

After looking at this product it seems that all you need to do is load the
product. You would turn off Mac services before loading.
I assume I could turn off apple talk since the network become a pure IP
network at this time.

So what is the downside then there always is?
Have you had any issues with the product at this time?
We are running 2003 Enterprise Server with no service pack at this time
would that be an issue?

Thanks again for your input on this.
Adam