VMware Solutions Discussions

Presenting NetApp share to VMware that allows Windows file server to further share it

PaulSmith09
5,338 Views

My manager created a CIFS share from NetApp that I'm supposed to use in a Windows 2012 VM. I am trying to create shared folders from that CIFS data but Windows doesn't allow re-sharing network folders - CIFS is already visible as something like \\name\sharename on the server and it is not seen as a drive. Any ideas how to present NetApp as a drive instead?

3 REPLIES 3

venkat3
5,315 Views

if i understood your query correctly , you want to do something like this

 

cmd

c:\>net use s: \\tower\movies

 

this should mount the share \\tower\movies to S drive in the system

 

reference :

link1

 

link2

 

thanks

SR

 

 

 

SeanHatfield
5,298 Views

Windows will not allow you to re-share a CIFS mount from another system.  It only allows you to create shares on local disks or block devices. Try one of these options instead:

  1. Create the required shares on the NetApp controller, since it is already providing those services.
  2. Add a VMDK or RDM to the windows VM and use that to store your shares
  3. present an iSCSI lun to the windows VM, and use that to store your shares

 

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PaulSmith09
5,201 Views

2. RDM is what I understand we need - this would allow to see the data as if it was a physical HDD plugged in to the VM. How can this be done? Could you provide some steps or point me in the right direction?

 

Other options you mentioned:

1. If you mean to use the shares directly from NetApp without Windows Server in between - this has some limits (does not work very well on a Mac) and doesn't allow as much control as with Windows shares

2. VMDK - this is an option but loses some benefits of using NetApp apparently

3. iSCSI we already use for Exchange and for reasons I didn't quite grasp we don't want to use it in this scenario

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