Transarc AFS Client for NT

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Transarc AFS Client for NT

• Tami Kramer
• CERN

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AFS Client for NT

• Enables access to files in the worldwide AFS
  filespace from NT workstations
• Supports Windows Explorer for browsing files
• Version - AFS 3.4a Patch 9.3
• Several problems reported to Transarc have been
  resolved

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Installation - AFS Client for NT

• Easily installable - Setup interface
• Requires 6Mb on system disk and at least 16 Mb
  of RAM
• Recommend increasing the pagefile by 50 Mb
• Most files go into \Program
  Files\Transarc\AFS\AFSClient
• Adds Transarc program dir to path

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Configuration - AFS Client

• AFS filespace is referred to by
  \\hostname-afs\all
• Can define submounts of the form
  \\hostname-afs\userid
• Control panel interface for config
• Shell extensions (right-click) AFS menu for AFS
  files (Auth, ACLs, etc)

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Authentication

• Logging in to NT also authenticates user on AFS
  (if NT and AFS userid and password are identical)
• In the default configuration this gives tokens
  valid for 25 hours
• Unlock screen does not refresh AFS tokens - This
  can produce confusing error messages/results

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Implementation on NICE NT

• Easily installable from the NICE Start Menu -
  Install requires Local Administrator privileges
• Maps drive P to the AFS filespace
• Authentication - shortcut on the Desktop to
  users AFS home directory. Checks if the user
  has valid tokens and prompts for them, if not.
• Patches distributed on demand with NICE

FOR MORE INFO...

• Http//niceafs.web.cern.ch

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Usage Statistics

• 150 out of 600 NT clients at CERN have installed
  the AFS Client

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NICE Applications from AFS

• Have tested AFS as an Application server for NICE
• Very few problems were found
• Bugs
• Excel Add-ons dont work
• Problem with file update notification (Dev Studio
  and Explorer)
• Features
• Token refresh problems
• Difference in the way Unix/NT handle files

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Summary

• AFS NT Client is well-integrated
• Support for the product is good
• Very useful for physicists who wish to take
  advantage of the extensive AFS disk space
  resources available at CERN or those who just
  want access to the AFS filespace

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Questions??