When a NAS server has both the SMB and NFS protocols enabled, multiprotocol access is automatically enabled. Multiprotocol access enables accessing a single file system using the SMB and NFS protocols simultaneously.
Windows and UNIX have inherent differences in how they handle things such as authentication, identification, permissions, locking, and so on. The following table shows some examples of these differences.
Table 6. UNIX and Windows differences
Authentication Provided By | Client or UDS (for Secure NFS) | Domain controller or Local Group Database |
Username Length | 8 characters | 20+ characters |
Identifiers | User ID (UID) and Group ID (GID) | Security Identifier (SID) |
Group Concept | Simple User/Group Concept | Allows Nested Groups |
File/Directory Ownership | Requires User AND Group Owner | Can be owned by a User or Group |
Permissions | NFSv3 – Mode Bits NFSv4 – ACLs | ACLs |
File Locking | NFSv3 – Advisory NFSv4 – Advisory or Mandatory | Mandatory |
Due to these inherent differences in the protocols, some configuration is required to maintain seamless access and enforce security across both protocols.
