Have you reviewed "Configuring and Managing CIFS on VNX" documentation ?

No, physical server does not need to be built. Create an interface that a CIFS server will be using, make sure you have DNS configured, create CIFS server and join it to the domain. After that you will create filesystems and shares for CIFS. You use computer management to connect to the CIFS server once it is created to assign permissions to the shares you created.

yes, but it is not clear if a physical server needs to be built.

To create a new interface, i can just use the "interfaces wizard" in unisphere right?  I'll have to get an available IP from the network team.  Where do I create the filesystems?

Thank you.

i recommend you poke around the online help file, to familiarize yourself with the system. Read about virtual datamovers, you want to create one before you create any CIFS servers.

https://support.emc.com/docu42063_VNX_Unisphere_Online_Help_1.2.htm?language=en_US

There's also a filesystem wizard to step you through the filesystem creation.  In Unisphere, click on "Storage", then look under "Filesystems".  Similarly, once your filesystem is created, you can click on "Sharing" to run the Create Share wizard.  Or as Ernest said, use the Windows MMC snap-in to create shares and assign permissions.

Let us know if this helps!

Karl

No plans to replicate the filesystem or CIFS server at this.  Right now we are in testing so i just want to get the procedure down so that when we do create production filesystems, i will be prepared.  We plan to back CIFS up with NDMP for Avamar. 

Virtual devices:

LACP0    devices=fxg-1-0 fxg-1-1  :protocol=lacp
fsn    failsafe nic devices :
trk    trunking devices : LACP0

server_3 :
Virtual devices:

fsn    failsafe nic devices :
trk    trunking devices :

id           = 18

name         = clarata_r6

used_mb      = 11331712

avail_mb     = 11170632

total_mb     = 22502344

potential_mb = 0

server_2 :

DNS is running.

Hi,

If you can answer the following questions then i can help you

1. Are you planning to replicate the File system and CIFS server?
2. What is the size of the FS that you are planning the Create?
3. What is the Name of the FS that you are creating?
4. Don’t Update it in the blog just keep the domain name and the IP address of the Cifs server handy
5. Provide the output of the following command.(please remove any details of the your site from your command output)
   1. server_sysconfig ALL –v
   2. nas_pool –size –all
   3. server_dns ALL

The other setting I will update you.

Thanks,

Rohan Raj

Ph: 9945444504

FreeLancer for EMC and Host products

Email:nv.rohanraj@gmail.com

Create a CIFS server

A Data Mover can host multiple instances of a CIFS server. When software is

installed onVNX, ASCII-based file and directory name encoding is enabled by

default. EMC strongly recommends that you enable Unicode character encoding

if you have CIFS clients. Unicode can be enabled using the uc_config

command and through the File Access Setup wizard or can be done through the

Data Movers Properties page in the Unisphere software. However, depending

on your environment, you might also need to customize the settings of the

translation configuration files before enabling Unicode.

For Kerberos authentication, Unicode support must be enabled on the Data

Mover before any Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server 2008

can be created on that Data Mover.

The link local interfaces cannot be added to a CIFS server as they are not

supported on a VNX.

To create a CIFS server:

Alternatively, you can use the CIFS Server Wizard. Getting started with

CIFS provides more details.

If you are creating a Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server

2008, check that Unicode is enabled on the Data Mover.

Select System > Hardware > Data Movers, and double-click the selected Data

Mover.

To set Unicode support, select the Enable Unicode option.

Unicode is enabled if its option is selected and unavailable. If Unicode is

enabled, proceed with step 2. You cannot disable it.

After you enable Unicode on a Data Mover, you cannot disable it. Before you

enable Unicode on a Data Mover, check that it does not have any

non-US-ASCII (7-bit ASCII) file systems mounted on it because these file

systems will become unusable. If the Data Mover has those systems mounted,

you must first perform Unicode conversion on these file systems using the

command line interface. Using International Character Sets with VNX

technical module on Powerlink, provides the instructions.

Select Storage > Shared Folders > CIFS > CIFS Servers.

Click Create.

You cannot create a default CIFS server on a Data Mover that has a Virtual

Data Mover (VDM) on it.

In the Data Mover field, select the Data Mover on which you want to create

the CIFS server.

When you create a CIFS server without any interfaces, it automatically

becomes the default CIFS server on the Data Mover and uses all interfaces

not assigned to other CIFS servers. A Data Mover can have only one default

CIFS server. You must create all other CIFS servers with one or more

interfaces. At any time, you can create and delete a default CIFS server.

Select the server type and complete the tasks for the appropriate server

type, and go to step 9.

For Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server 2008 go to step 6,

for Windows NT server go to step 7, and for stand-alone server go to step

8.

For Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server 2008, complete the

following:

In the Windows 2000 Computer Name field, type the computer name.

In the Domain field, type the name of the domain to join.

To join the domain immediately, select the Join the domain option.

If you do not join the domain upon server creation, you can join the domain

later through the CIFS Server Properties page.

To join the domain, type the domain administrator’s username and password

and specify the Windows Active Directory Organizational Unit in which the

CIFS server is to be registered.

To enable local user support on the server, select the Enable local users

option. In the Set Local Admin Password field, type a password for the

local administrator account. In the Confirm Admin Password field, confirm

the password by retyping it. Understanding local user support provides more

information.

For a Windows NT server, complete the following:

In the NetBIOS Name field, type a NetBIOS name that is unique within the

domain.

For Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008, this field

is optional. If it is left blank, the system uses the first 15 characters

of the computer name as the NetBIOS name.

In the Domain field, type the name of the Windows NT domain that the server

will join.

To enable local user support on the server, select the Enable local users

option and type a password for the local administrator account in the Set

Local Admin Password field. Confirm the password by retyping it in the

Confirm Admin Password field. Understanding local user support provides

more information.

For a stand-alone server, complete the following:

In the NetBIOS Name field, type a NetBIOS name for the server.

In the Workgroup field, type the name of the local workgroup of which the

server will be a part.

In the Set Local Admin Password field, type a password for the local

administrator account on the server.

In the Confirm Admin Password field, retype the password.

In the Aliases field, type one or more alternative names for the server and

separate each with a comma.

You can assign aliases to NetBIOS names and computer names. Aliases provide

multiple, alternate identities for a given resource. Because aliases act as

secondary names, the aliases share the same set of local groups and shares

as the primary NetBIOS name or computer name.

Select one or more interfaces for the server.

To create interfaces, select Settings > Network > Settings for File >

Interfaces.

Always specify an interface for a stand-alone server. For a stand-alone

server with VDMs, you must specify an interface.

Click OK.

Regards,

Rohan Raj NV

EMC Storage Free Lancer.

PH: 9945444504

Alternate Number: 0490-2477502

mgrammer,

In addition to all the great feedback already provided, consider searching YouTube for videos from the publisher:EMCCorp which is the "official" EMC corporation content.  They are meant for the new users providing a good general foundation to start with. For instance, what comes to mind for you based on your original specific question about CIFS servers might be to watch the following videos:

1) VNX Video: Unisphere

2) EMC VNX and Virtual Data Mover (VDM)

3) VNX Video: CIFS

Off the top of my head, there is a video for almost every major task so I'd recommend looking through the the repository of videos as a start to your journey.  Then complement this to fill in the gaps with the document that dynamox suggested or the list that Rohan provided.