(Un)common NFS Error

Some of the very common error message we came across while troubleshooting NFS related issues. The uniqueness of these error messages is they do not provide any hint towards the resolution J. Error message are always like that J

Issue :

Server for NFS: Unable to create a NFS share; Error message " specified folder path is not valid"

Cause:

Windows 2003 SP2 , SFU 3.5, 2 node cluster

If you restart the Server for NFS service on one of the node without taking the resource offline, then you may face this issue.

While creating a NFS share on local drive or as a cluster resource you will get the error message " specified folder path is not valid ".

This error is due to corrupt registy entries under export

"" HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Server for NFS\CurrentVersion\Exports\"

Resolution:

To resolve the issue try the below troubleshooting steps:

1. Unshare any NFS share on local drive.

2. Take the NFS resource offline ( dont do a failover)

3. Stop Server for NFS service on both the cluster node.

4. Delete all the entries under the registry location " HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Server for NFS\CurrentVersion\Exports\"

5. restart Server for NFS on both the nodes

6. Create a NFS share locally and as a Clsuter resource

7. Run the showmount -e command to check the same.

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Issue:

Unable to access NFS share hosted on windows 2008 server for HP unix client

Error Message: " Invalid argument"

Cause:

Incorrect NTFS permission set.

Resolution:

Add "system" and "creator owner" in the NTFS permission ( NFS share -> properties-> security)

Give system full control and creator owner special permission

Restart Server for NFS service.

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Issue:

Creating files on a NFS share from Unic clients fails

Error message " NFS2 lookup failed for server 192.168.203.139 : RPC: Authentication error "

Directory creation: mkdir: cannot create abc.

pipp: I/O error

File creation: touch tttt:I/O error

touch: cannot change times on tttt

Cause:

Incorrect registry settings

Resolution:

Changed the registry setting below and then restart Server for NFS service

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NfsSvr\Parameters

Select SecureHandleLevel in the right pane. and set it to 0

This registry setting controls the level of signing done on the file handles being given out to the NFS clients. Higher level of security sometimes,

depending upon the environment, causes the file handles to change between the MOUNT and GETATTR operations and thereby resulting in I/O errors

since the handle has changed.

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Issue:

“NFS Shares cannot be accessed using UNC path from a Windows client running on a VM

Ware virtual platform“

This happens on a Virtual machine.

Cause:

Presence of VMware share folder in the Network provider order

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\NetworkProvider\Order]

"ProviderOrder"="RDPNP,LanmanWorkstation,WebClient,hgfs,Nfsnp"

Resolution:

Uninstall VMware shared folder

Go to control panel -add remove programs and modified the VMware Tools

install and deselected the VMware Shared Folders option,

Once done with removing it from the system kindly reboot the box and try to access

Then share the NFS share using the UNC path

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