Dell Unity, PowerStore, PowerMax: Octal Mode Bits for Files on Multi-protocol NAS Share Reset when Files Opened using SMB
Summary: UNIX mode bits reset to UMASK value when files are accessed using Server Message Block (SMB). (User Correctable)
Symptoms
Cause
Some applications may delete and re-create files without notifying the user that the application is doing so.
One example is Microsoft Office that caches changes in a temporary file. When the changes are saved, the original file is deleted and the temporary file is renamed and promoted to a permanent file.
This may be mistaken for the storage array resetting permissions when the application saves changes. But in this scenario, the application is deleting and re-creating files.
Resolution
This behavior is working as intended. The storage administrator should configure a proper UMASK setting for their environment, so that the default UNIX mode bits satisfy their security and permissions requirements.
To validate this issue, enter ls -li command from a Network File System (NFS) client as the software on the SMB client opens and modifies files. If the inode number in the first column of the output is changing at any point in the process, it means that files are being deleted and then being re-created.