topic Re: Issue with file sharing on Netapp in Active IQ Unified Manager Discussions

Issue with file sharing on Netapp

PDIS — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 14:41:06 GMT

Recently I moved a shared folder from a Microsoft File Server over to Netapp. I created an NTFS volume on the Netapp and then Created a Share on the Netapp. Since moving the folder over I've had users complaining that an excel spreadsheet that is accessed by multiple people is not acting the same. When the excel file was on the microsoft file server multiple people could have the spreadsheet open but only the first person could make changes. It would notify anyone who opened the file after the first person that the file was in use and was read only. Since moving the spreadsheet to the netapp, users no longer get the notification if someone else has it open already. Only when they go to save the spreadsheet, it does tell them that someone else has made changes since the last time it was saved. It then asks them if they want to overwrite the other persons changes or if they want to save it as a new document. Neither of these options work. Is it possible to make it work the same way it did on the microsoft server?

Re: Issue with file sharing on Netapp

niels — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 15:36:13 GMT

The feature you are looking for is called "oplocks". When enabled the client will be able to lock the file to prevent other users to open it.

Unfortunately you didn't specify the mode of operation the system is running (7mode or cDOT) nor the ONTAP version.

Here are links to two guides explaining how to check/set the oplocks parameter depending on mode of operation and version. I hop you find the one that's right for your system.

7-mode - ONTAP 8.2.x:

Enabling or disabling oplocks and lease oplocks on the storage system

https://library.netapp.com/ecmdocs/ECMP1401220/html/GUID-526B365B-219B-4CA3-AD67-3E1E17B0DB0A.html

ONTAP 9:

Enabling or disabling oplocks on existing SMB shares

http://docs.netapp.com/ontap-9/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.netapp.doc.cdot-famg-cifs%2FGUID-193922D8-CE3C-4CB4-9884-B0271D20EB72.html

regards, Niels

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Re: Issue with file sharing on Netapp

PDIS — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 15:41:07 GMT

Thank you so much for your response. I apologize, we are running 7-mode ONTap 8.2. If I enable this does this mean that users after the first one won't even be able to open the file in read only mode?

Re: Issue with file sharing on Netapp

niels — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 18:25:26 GMT

Enabling oplocks would yield the same behavior as the Windows fileserver.

The first person opens the file and the application sets the lock.

Subsequent users trying to open the file would get a warning that the file is already opened by another user as the application would honor the lock.

So opening the file for reading is still possible, but the file could not be overwritten.

regards, Niels