topic "DFS Active" - yes vs no in Network and Storage Protocols

"DFS Active" - yes vs no

richardmcclary — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:54:10 GMT

Greetings! This is probably basic stuff. However, I had no OnTap training and no experience with DFS systems...

We have two main offices. The NetApp FAS cabinets are in the New York office, and many of us needing access are in the mid-west office (central Illinois, USA).

Our network is Microsoft Windows 2003 (Native) Active Directory. I am not sure as to the OnTap version, but I believe it is 7.3. Client machines are mostly Windows XP SP3, Professional. However, we see the same problem from other Windows 2003 servers...

When we in Illinois attempt to connect to the departmental drive through its DFS address, we receive the following:

\\aspca.local\nyc\Info Technology is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource.

Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions.

The network path was not found.

We get this response regardless of whether we try to access with least privileged user credentials or with domain administrator credentials.

If we simply enter the address "\\aspca.local\nyc", we see numerous folders (including Info Technology). With two exceptions, we receive the same message if we click on the folders.

If instead of entering the DFS address and instead enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the NetApp filer and the folder name, we gain access to the folder with the appropriate read/write/modify rights.

Being curious, I went back to the DFS address (in Windows Explorer, \\aspca.local\nyc) and began right-clicking on folders to check "Properties". I saw a tab "DFS". For the two folders to which we do have access, the DFS tab said "Active: Yes". For our departmental folder, the DFS tab said "Active: No".

In that tab was a button to set DFS to "Active: Yes". I told this to the administrator in New York. I was told the following (probably as a learning experience?):

I was told that the department members in the New York office did not see the same errors we were seeing. I was also told there was the possibility of the system access "breaking" for the New York department members should I click this button. Finally, I was told to come to this forum and ask...

1. Is the lack of access to a folder via the DFS address by people at the remote location due to the DFS Active setting set to "No"?

2. What else could be causing the lack of access via this address? (Again, access via FQDN name is successful.)

3. What may or may not happen should I or someone else click the "Set to active" button in the "Properties - DFS" tab?

Thanks...

"DFS Active" - yes vs no

BrendonHiggins — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:30:50 GMT

I have just been given a new Windows 7 laptop (upgrade from XP) and have the same issue. Did you get it resolved? I am currently thinking the new AD lockdown whick came with the laptop forcing NTLMv2.

Bren

"DFS Active" - yes vs no

BrendonHiggins — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:04:32 GMT

The answer to my problem was to turn on SMB2 on the filer.

options cifs.smb2.enable on

Hope it helps

Bren

Re: "DFS Active" - yes vs no

richardmcclary — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:52:11 GMT

Thanks!

I've passed your suggestion on to the folks in NYC who take care of that

particular cabinet. I'll wait and see if they check that.

Thanks again...

Richard D. McClary

Jr Infrastructure Architect, Information Technology Group

ASPCA®

1717 S. Philo Rd, Ste 36

Urbana, IL 61802

RichardMcClary@aspca.org

P: 217-337-9761

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Subject

""DFS Active" - yes vs no" [NetApp Community > Products & Solutions > File

Services]

Re: "DFS Active" - yes vs no

created by BrendonHiggins in File Services - View the full discussion

The answer to my problem was to turn on SMB2 on the filer.

options cifs.smb2.enable on

Hope it helps

Bren

of replies to the post:

Discussion thread has 2 replies. Click here to read all the replies.

Original Post:

Greetings! This is probably basic stuff. However, I had no OnTap

training and no experience with DFS systems... We have two main offices.

The NetApp FAS cabinets are in the New York office, and many of us needing

access are in the mid-west office (central Illinois, USA). Our network is

Microsoft Windows 2003 (Native) Active Directory. I am not sure as to the

OnTap version, but I believe it is 7.3. Client machines are mostly

Windows XP SP3, Professional. However, we see the same problem from other

Windows 2003 servers... When we in Illinois attempt to connect to the

departmental drive through its DFS address, we receive the following:

+
aspca.local\nyc\Info Technology is not accessible. You might not have

permission to use this network resource.+ +Contact the administrator of

this server to find out if you have access permissions.+ +The network path

was not found.+ We get this response regardless of whether we try to

access with least privileged user credentials or with domain administrator

credentials. If we simply enter the address "
aspca.local\nyc", we see

numerous folders (including Info Technology). With two exceptions, we

receive the same message if we click on the folders. If instead of

entering the DFS address and instead enter the fully qualified domain name

(FQDN) of the NetApp filer and the folder name, we gain access to the

folder with the appropriate read/write/modify rights. Being curious, I

went back to the DFS address (in Windows Explorer,
aspca.local\nyc) and

began right-clicking on folders to check "Properties". I saw a tab

"DFS". For the two folders to which we do have access, the DFS tab said

"Active: Yes". For our departmental folder, the DFS tab said "Active:

No". In that tab was a button to set DFS to "Active: Yes". I told this to

the administrator in New York. I was told the following (probably as a

learning experience?): I was told that the department members in the New

York office did not see the same errors we were seeing. I was also told

there was the possibility of the system access "breaking" for the New York

department members should I click this button. Finally, I was told to

come to this forum and ask... 1. Is the lack of access to a folder via the

DFS address by people at the remote location due to the DFS Active setting

set to "No"? 2. What else could be causing the lack of access via this

address? (Again, access via FQDN name is successful.) 3. What may or may

not happen should I or someone else click the "Set to active" button in

the "Properties - DFS" tab? Thanks...

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Re: "DFS Active" - yes vs no

HENRYPAN2 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:08:12 GMT

Hello Bren,

Is your SM2 option still on?

options cifs.smb2.enable on

I have to turn it off due to a bug.

Thanks & Happy 2013

Henry

Re: "DFS Active" - yes vs no

BrendonHiggins — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:07:22 GMT

Thanks for the heads up, what is the bug number please? I no longer manage that system, so I could not say about its status. But thank you for posting the tip.

Bren