|
|
|
Reflection NFS Client: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Technical Note 1421
Last Reviewed 31-May-2006
Applies To
Reflection NFS Client version 11.0 or higher
Summary
Technical Note 1421
Last Reviewed 31-May-2006
Applies To
Reflection NFS Client version 11.0 or higher
Summary
This technical note answers questions customers frequently ask about the Reflection NFS Client.
Note the following:
- The Reflection NFS Client standalone product is also included as a component of several Reflection products. For further details, refer to Technical Note 3000.
- For information about which versions of Reflection NFS are supported on each Microsoft Windows platform, see Technical Note 1866.
What is the Reflection NFS Client and how is it available?
The Reflection NFS Client is a software application that allows you to connect remotely over TCP/IP to a UNIX server, providing transparent access to shared files and printers.
The NFS client product is available as a standalone product, the Reflection NFS Client, and as a component of several other Reflection products. Your network environment will determine which product or suite best fits your needs:
| Product or Suite |
Description |
| Reflection NFS Client |
Includes the NFS client and a collection of network tools and utilities for PCs running Windows. |
| Reflection for the Multi-Host Enterprise, Professional Edition and Standard Edition |
Connects Windows users to IBM, HP, UNIX, and OpenVMS hosts - delivering precise terminal emulation. |
| Reflection Suite for X |
Provides complete PC-to-UNIX X connectivity. Reflection X, a PC X Server, is the central application. |
For more information about the components of these products, see Technical Note 3000.
What is the NFS Utility?
The NFS Utility, which ships with the NFS client, is a tool for gathering information about the current NFS remote drives, remote file systems, print queues, and NFS server daemons running on your hosts. It also provides access to NFS Settings and enables users to export and import settings using an XML file.
What Windows operating systems are supported by Reflection NFS Client?
The following table shows versions of Reflection NFS supported on Microsoft operating systems. For further details, see Technical Note 1866.
| Operating System |
Reflection NFS Client Support |
| Microsoft Windows XP |
Yes. For details, see Technical Note 1591. |
| Microsoft Window 2000 |
Yes. Versions 9.0 or higher. |
| Microsoft Windows NT |
Reflection versions 9.0 through 11.x. |
| Microsoft Windows ME |
Reflection versions 9.0 through 10.x. |
| Microsoft Windows 98 |
Reflection versions 9.0 through 10.x. |
Does the Reflection NFS Client run on Microsoft Windows Terminal Server (with or without Citrix MetaFrame)?
Reflection NFS Client versions 11.0 or higher runs on Windows Terminal Server (WTS). When installed in this environment, the following functions must be performed by an administrator, at the WTS terminal (not remotely):
- NFS Client installation
- Modifications to the global NFS Client Properties
NFS mapped drives, login names, and passwords (if password caching is enabled) are maintained on a per user basis.
At this time, no testing has been done with Reflection NFS Client in a Citrix environment.
Versions prior to 11.0 are not compatible with Microsoft Terminal Server (with or without Citrix MetaFrame). Version 10.x automatically detects the operating system during installation, and will not install on WTS. Prior versions do not automatically detect the WTS environment. If you try to install an older version of Reflection NFS in this environment, you will see the following error message:
Initialization of dynamic link library...\event32.dll failed. The process is terminating abnormally.How do I move from the Sun Solstice Client to Reflection NFS or Reflection Suite for X?
Historically, Sun has provided two products for NFS functionality: Solstice NFS Client and Solstice Network Client. These Sun products correspond to the Reflection NFS Client and Reflection Suite for X products:
| Sun |
Attachmate |
| Solstice NFS Client |
Reflection NFS Client |
| Solstice Network Client |
Reflection Suite for X |
If you are migrating from the Sun Solstice Clients, it is important to uninstall them properly before installing Reflection. Uninstalling the Solstice NFS or Network Client involves three procedures: removing NFS printers, disconnecting mapped NFS network drives, and removing the Solstice Client with Add/Remove Programs. For more information, see Technical Note 1091.
Are there any host requirements for running the NFS client?
For the Reflection NFS Client to connect successfully to a host, the host must have the following required NFS server daemons running and available over the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) transport: nfs, mountd, and portmapper. The pcnfsd and nlockmgr daemons are also required for certain functionality. Pcnfsd is required for non-anonymous user authentication, unless you are using NIS or LDAP authentication, and nlockmgr is required for file locking.
If you plan use TCP or take advantage of TCP browsing within Reflection NFS, you also need to have these daemons available over Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).
For descriptions of these daemons, and a discussion of other host-side requirements, see Technical Note 1100.
When I install the shipping product, will I lose the settings I created during evaluation?
See Technical Note 1678.
Can I cache my NFS passwords?
Yes, the NFS Client can store your user name and password so you don’t need to reenter this information for each new Windows session. NFS password caching is disabled by default.
Version 13.0 or higher provides new extended NFS password and authentication options, including the ability to use your Windows logon credentials to authenticate to an NFS host. For details, see the product help or the NFS documentation at http://support.attachmate.com/manuals/rnfs.html.
How can I troubleshoot problems with NFS authentication (login)?
If you are having difficulties authenticating to your host, try the three following troubleshooting suggestions:
- Check your login text. Note that UNIX is case sensitive.
- Verify that your user name and password are valid for the host. An easy way to do this is to log on to the host using a terminal emulation product such as Reflection for UNIX and OpenVMS.
- Try to authenticate to your host as Anonymous. If you can authenticate to your host as Anonymous, and access the host with anonymous permissions, but are unable to authenticate with your user name and password, confirm that the pcnfsd daemon is installed and running on the host. This daemon is required for authentication, unless your host is configured for NIS authentication.
For additional information on troubleshooting authentication issues, see Technical Note 1080.
How can I troubleshoot problems with NFS drive mapping?
The ability to map an NFS drive to an exported file system depends on access or restrictions that are specified in the /etc/exports (or equivalent) file. Follow these steps to determine whether you have the necessary access:
- Open the NFS Utility in the Reflection Utilities group.
- On the Services menu, select Search for Server File Systems.
- Enter the host name or IP address, and then click Retrieve Information.
- From the list of exported file systems on the host, check for your PC name or IP address under the Access column. If your PC is not listed, you have not been given access and you will need to contact your host administrator.
For additional information on troubleshooting mapping issues, see Technical Note 1050.
How can I troubleshoot problems accessing or viewing NFS files or folders?
NFS file and folder access problems typically fall into one of three types:
- Inaccessible files: files you can't see, open, edit, save, move, or delete
- Garbled file names
- Corrupted or damaged files
For information on troubleshooting file or folder access issues, see Technical Note 1146.
How can I troubleshoot problems with NFS printing?
For information regarding troubleshooting NFS printing, see Technical Note 7047.
Where can I find more information about the Reflection NFS Client?
The table below lists web pages that contain information about the Reflection NFS Client and other products.
| Information |
Location |
| Patch files |
http://support.attachmate.com/downloads/ |
| Reflection NFS Client Technical Notes |
Technical Note 5008 |
