Accessing NetWare volumes from UnixWare

Name space support for volume access modes

UnixWare requires either the DOS or NFS name space in order to access a NetWare volume. Because the DOS name space is required by NetWare on all volumes, you can mount and access any NetWare volume from UnixWare.

When we talk about accessing a NetWare volume from UnixWare, we speak in terms of the access mode of the volume. A volume with only the DOS name space supports only one access mode, the DOS mode; a volume with the NFS name space (and the NUC NLM) can support either of two modes, the NetWare mode or the UNIX mode.

The access mode that you choose for a particular NetWare volume determines a number of things, summarized in the following table.

DOS Mode (no NFS name space support) NetWare Mode (requires NFS name space) UNIX Mode (requires NFS name space)
Maintenance low high (user and group ID coordination on the network required for accurate owner and permission mapping) same as NetWare Mode
Ownership Presentation inaccurate accurate (assuming accurate user and group ID coordination) same as NetWare Mode
File Sharing See note See note See note
Performance low impact low impact on UnixWare side, medium-to-low impact on NetWare side potentially high impact on NetWare side (accurate ownership and permission mappings require trustee assignments)
File Operations Allowed create, read, write, list, rename, delete, move, touch same as for DOS Mode, plus supports hard and symbolic links same as NetWare Mode
Changing Ownership not supported not supported supported
Changing Permissions limited support limited support full support
Long File Names not supported; only 8.3 and DOS characters supported (up to 255 characters) same as NetWare Mode
Links not supported hard and soft supported same as NetWare Mode
Running Applications only DOS-style file access supported; no permission or ownership changes supports UnixWare style access and names, but no permission or ownership changes full support for running UnixWare applications

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|                |  DOS Mode (no   |  NetWare Mode (requires |  UNIX Mode (requires |
|                |  NFS name space |  NFS name space)        |  NFS name space)     |
|                |  support)       |                         |                      |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| Maintenance    |  low            |  high (user and group ID|  same as NetWare Mode|
|                |                 |  coordination on the    |                      |
|                |                 |  network required for   |                      |
|                |                 |  accurate owner and     |                      |
|                |                 |  permission mapping)    |                      |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| Ownership      |  inaccurate     |  accurate (assuming     |  same as NetWare Mode|
| Presentation   |                 |  accurate user and group|                      |
|                |                 |  ID coordination)       |                      |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| File Sharing   |  See note       |  See note               |  See note            |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| Performance    |  low impact     |  low impact on UnixWare |  potentially high    |
|                |                 |  side, medium-to-low    |  impact on NetWare   |
|                |                 |  impact on NetWare side |  side (accurate      |
|                |                 |                         |  ownership and       |
|                |                 |                         |  permission mappings |
|                |                 |                         |  require trustee     |
|                |                 |                         |  assignments)        |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| File Operations|  create, read,  |  same as for DOS Mode,  |  same as NetWare Mode|
| Allowed        |  write, list,   |  plus supports hard and |                      |
|                |  rename, delete,|  symbolic links         |                      |
|                |  move, touch    |                         |                      |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| Changing       |  not supported  |  not supported          |  supported           |
| Ownership      |                 |                         |                      |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| Changing       |  limited support|  limited support        |  full support        |
| Permissions    |                 |                         |                      |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| Long File Names|  not supported; |  supported (up to 255   |  same as NetWare Mode|
|                |  only 8.3 and   |  characters)            |                      |
|                |  DOS characters |                         |                      |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| Links          |  not supported  |  hard and soft supported|  same as NetWare Mode|
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|
| Running        |  only DOS-style |  supports UnixWare style|  full support for    |
| Applications   |  file access    |  access and names, but  |  running UnixWare    |
|                |  supported; no  |  no permission or       |  applications        |
|                |  permission or  |  ownership changes      |                      |
|                |  ownership      |                         |                      |
|                |  changes        |                         |                      |
|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------|----------------------|


NOTE: With file sharing, all modes allow both NetWare and UnixWare users to see the same files and directories on NetWare volumes and access them. Regardless of how ownership and permissions are displayed on the UnixWare side, access to a file on NetWare is granted or denied on the basis of the effective rights of the NetWare login ID (used to authenticate to the server) on the file.


© 1999 The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. All rights reserved.
UnixWare 7 Release 7.1.1 - 5 November 1999