HOW TO: Set the NFS Permissions for a File or Folder by Using Gateway for NFS

The Network File System (NFS) uses inherently different permissions as compared to Windows NTFS file system discretionary access control lists (DACLs). However, services for the UNIX's Gateway for NFS allows you to change the permissions attributes of the underlying file or folder by using the standard UNIX and NFS permissions attributes.

Setting the NFS Permissions for a File or Folder by Using Gateway for NFS

Gateway for NFS adds additional properties tabs for NFS files and folders to the Windows Explorer interface, allowing easy modification of NFS permissions attributes for files and folders. The underlying access and change permissions of the NFS server will determine the ability of a particular account to change the attributes of a particular file or folder.

To set the NFS permissions attributes of a file or folder:

1. Log onto the Windows server with an account whose User Name Mapping translation will have sufficient permissions on the UNIX server to change the permissions attributes of the file(s) or folders you want to change.
2. Open Windows Explorer.
3. Highlight the file(s) or folder(s) on a remote NFS share that you want to modify the attributes of and right click. Select NFS Attributes. You need to add something specifying that the files you highlight must be on a remote NFS share since you can not set theses options on local files or files on SMB shares. You may also want to give examples of how would map a drive or access a UNC path via explorer.
4. Select the check boxes for permissions attributes of the files or folders you want to set. The choices are:
   • Read, Write, and eXecute for:
   • Owner
   • Group
   • Other
   • Set UID
   • Set GID
   • Owner (UID)
   • Group (GID)
5. You can also see, but not change, the other file attributes associated with the selected file or folder, including Last access time, Last modification time, and Last status change time.NOTE: If you do not have permission to change the attributes of the file or folder, you receive an "Unable to set attributes for filename Error: 0x5" error message.
   
   NOTE: Permissions attributes for NFS files and directories must be set at the Gateway for NFS server. They cannot be changed at the client computer. Client computers see only the Windows file attributes for the files or folders. If a particular client computer needs to set NFS permissions directly, install Client for NFS on that computer.
   
   For additional information about how to install Client for NFS, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   324055  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324055/EN-US/ ) HOW TO: Install Client for NFS on Windows for a UNIX-to-Windows Migration

For additional information about performing maintenance tasks after migrating from UNIX to Windows, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: