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

[PaulSmith09]

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?

[venkat3]

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]

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

[PaulSmith09]

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