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Tech Tips and TCP/IP Basics for DiskAccess on Windows 95 and Windows 98

This document will teach basics on TCP/IP Networking and will help you get DiskAccess Windows 95/98 running.  It is written from a support analyst’s point of view and deals primarily with the necessary steps that a user needs to take to install and configure DiskAccess.  A basic knowledge of Windows 95/98, UNIX, and networking is required. 

This document includes the following Sections: 

1. DiskAccess Windows 95/98 Installation Requirements
2. TCP/IP Basics
3. Resolving Hostnames for Windows 95/98 and Unix
4. Installing DiskAccess on Windows 95/98
5. DiskAccess Windows 95/98 Tech Tips

Section 1:  DiskAccess Windows 95/98 Installation Requirements

What is DiskAccess?  DiskAccess is a kernel-based network file system (NFS) client that enables a Windows 95/98 system to connect to Unix file systems and other NFS server systems.

Before installing the DiskAccess software on your PC, ensure that the system on which you want to use the software has the following features:

Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating system

To determine what version of Windows 95/98 you are running, at the DOS prompt, key in:  winver

The Windows 95/98 TCP/IP service software.

Notes

The TCP/IP service software is delivered with Windows 95/98 software, but is not installed by default with the operating system software. 

You must remove all other NFS client software from your machine before installing DiskAccess.  If more than one NFS client is present on the system, neither works correctly.

Section 2:  TCPIP Basic

The Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is the default wide area network protocol that provides communication across diverse interconnected networks. 

Note 

TCP/IP must be installed and properly configured on your PC prior to the DiskAccess Windows 95/98 installation.

1. To determine if it has been installed, go to Control Panel - Network - Configuration and verify that the TCP/IP Protocol is listed as an installed network protocol.

a. If the TCP/IP Protocol is NOT in the list of Network protocols, do NOT install DiskAccess.  Install, configure, and start the TCP/IP service, preferably with Domain Name System (DNS) support enabled, then install DiskAccess.  Refer to your Windows 95/98 documentation for more information about the TCP/IP service and DNS.

b. If TCP/IP Protocol has been installed, verify that it is properly configured.  At the DOS Shell prompt, key in, winipcfg

Select More Info from the IP Configuration Dialog and the following network information displays.  

c. From the figure above, verify that you have valid and/or similar results for the following:

This machine’s unique hostname (or nodename) is “bbtpc”.  The fully qualified name from the example above is:  “bbtpc.ssc-corp”, while the IP Address for “bbtpc” is 192.168.0.114.

This PC can be reached by other machines on the network if it is recognizable by its fully qualified name, its IP Address, or its unique hostname.  

Note

In order for DiskAccess to successfully connect to Unix file systems, the Unix machine must be able to ping the PC by its unique hostname.  Conversely, the PC must be able to ping the Unix machine by its hostname. 

2. Verify that both the Unix machine and the PC can ping each other (by their unique hostnames) in both directions.  In the example below, the Unix unique hostname is “sunlab1” and the PC unique hostname is “bbtpc”. 

a. At the PC’s DOS prompt, ping the NFS Server, key in:

ping sunlab1

Notice that the unique hostname is being used to verify the PC-to-Unix network connection.

If the ping is successful, you will get back a reply from the Windows 95/98 system providing the correct IP Address for  “sunlab1”, for example:

Pinging sunlab1 [192.168.0.119] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.0.119
Reply from 192.168.0.119
Reply from 192.168.0.119

b. At the Unix command line prompt, key in the following to verify that the Unix machine can reach the PC:

ping bbtpc

If the ping is successful, you will get a reply back from the Unix system similar to:

bbtpc is alive   - OR -  PING bbtpc:  56 data bytes
bbtpc is alive                 64 bytes from 192.168.0.114
                                         64 bytes from 192.168.0.114
                                         64 bytes from 192.168.0.114

c. If Steps 2a and b are successful, then you are ready to install DiskAccess, continue to Section 4 for details on installation.  If you are NOT able to ping the Unix and PC machines by hostname in both directions, install DiskAccess for Windows 95/98 with a “Typical” installation, then continue to the Section 3.

Note

You are NOT ready to connect to Unix resources or configure DiskAccess until you can successfully ping the PC hostname from the Unix machine and then the Unix hostname from the PC.

Section 3:  Resolving Hostnames for Windows 95/98 and Unix

TCP/IP internetworks require a name resolution service to convert computer hostnames to IP addresses and IP addresses to computer hostnames.

Two popular naming resolution methods are: Domain Naming System (DNS) and the operating system’s hosts file.

1. DNS requires a network administrator to configure a list of hostnames and IP Addresses.  DNS Servers contain information about a portion of the DNS database, which makes computer names available to client resolvers querying for name resolution across the network.

You can determine if you are running DNS to resolve your hostname by reviewing the results of the winipcfg key in command used in example Section 2-1b) of this document.  If there are any entries for DNS Servers, then you are running DNS.

a. If you were NOT able to ping your Unix and PC machine in both directions by hostname, check all of the DNS Servers and verify that the hostnames are being resolved correctly from each of the DNS Servers.

If your DNS results are incorrect or are still having problems establishing network connectivity for the Unix and PC, contact your DNS Administrator and verify that these machines have been properly configured in the DNS database for all DNS servers. 

b. To determine if the DNS configuration is or is not the problem, disable DNS, and use the operating system’s hosts file for name resolution. 

2. Hostname resolution can also be determined by utilizing the operating system’s hosts file (not the lmhosts file or hosts.sam).  This file, hosts, is a local text file that maps IP Addresses to the computer hostnames of networking computers inside and outside the local subnet.

a. In Windows 95/98, this file should be stored in the C:\%Systemroot%\ directory, where %Systemroot% is your Windows 95 or Windows 98 directory. 

An example of hosts it is given below:

127.0.0.1                localhost
192.168.0.119          sunlab1
192.168.0.183          bbtpc
192.168.0.63           gurneypc
192.168.0.117          labclix

If you were NOT able to ping your Unix machine from the PC by hostname, edit the hosts file for the correct hostname and IP Address of the Unix File Servers.

CAUTION

The hosts file can be modified using Window’s Notepad; however, you must verify that this file ends in a carriage return.

Rereading the hosts information is automatic on the PC and a reboot is not necessary.  Try pinging the Unix machine again after modifying the hosts file.

b. On most UNIX machines, the hosts file is located in the /etc directory.  If you were NOT able to ping the PC from the Unix machine, edit the hosts file for the correct hostname and it’s respective IP Address for your PC. 

Rereading the hosts information is automatic on Unix and a reboot is not necessary.  Try pinging the PC again after modifying the hosts file.

If you are still having problems with the network connectivity between these machines using hostnames, contact your Network Support for more assistance.

Note

You are NOT ready to connect to Unix resources or configure DiskAccess until you can successfully ping hostnames in both directions.

You are ready to install DiskAccess on Windows 95 or Windows 98 after you have confirmed that TCP/IP is installed and is properly configured. 

1. From the DiskAccess Installation media, double-click or invoke: setup.exe

2. Enter your information for software serialization, User Name, Company Name, and Serial Number.  

Note 

Customers that want to run DiskAccess in evaluation mode can download it from the NFS WEB Homepage, http://www.AccessNFS.com/

Select TRY IT FREE, register, then click DiskAccess for Intel Windows 95/98/NT.  Evaluation License information is automatically generated during the DiskAccess setup, while the license is good for 30 days.

3. Define a destination directory to install DiskAccess on your local PC.  The default is C:\Program Files\DiskAccess.

4. The DiskAccess installation allows you to specify which type of installation you want, such as, Typical, Compact, or Custom.  Specify a Typical installation and continue.

During the DiskAccess installation, you are allowed to pre-define settings for user authentication.  The Authentication process is used to obtain NFS credentials to maintain security across NFS resources.  For more details on Authentication see Section 5.

Note

A REBOOT is necessary after DiskAccess has been installed on your machine.

After rebooting and after you logon to the Windows Desktop, DiskAccess will prompt you “to accept the current NFS Login” or “to reject these NFS credentials” as shown in Figure 2. 

NFS Credentials are used to maintain security across NFS resources.  By default DiskAccess allows you to access NFS resources as “anonymous” or UID/GID = -2/-1 as shown below.  You can choose to select “Yes” to accept the current login or “No” to key in new NFS credentials.

Section 5:  DiskAccess Windows 95/98 Tech Tips

1. You are ready to make connections to your Unix file systems if:

• You have verified that the TCP/IP Protocol has been installed and is properly configured.
• You can successfully ping the Unix and PC in both directions by their hostnames.
• You have installed DiskAccess.
• You have rebooted after installing DiskAccess.

2. What does DiskAccess Authentication mean? By default, DiskAccess allows you to make NFS connections as an “anonymous” user, permitted that the NFS Server is configured for anonymous access.  Unfortunately, most anonymous connections are limited to read-only operations. 

Access to NFS servers is controlled by IP Address, UID, and GID.  By establishing these credentials, the NFS server is able to control read, write, and execute privileges during file access.  The process of acquiring a UID/GID pair for a non-UNIX NFS client is known as authentication.

During PCNFSD authentication, a Unix server compares the username and password with its password file.  If the username and password match one in the file, the authentication server returns a corresponding user ID (UID) and group ID (GID), which are used to identify the user for NFS browse and mount operations to the NFS server.  If authentication fails and if anonymous access is permitted, the connection will be made with the “anonymous” account, or an ID pair of  (-2, -1).

3. DiskAccess offers two methods of authentication: a Unix server running the PCNFSD process and an NIS Domain.

a. PCNFSD is a process that runs on Unix and allows PC’s to authenticate and print to Unix servers.

To verify if a Unix machine has the PCNFSD process running, select Start - Programs -DiskAccess - RPC Information.  Select the List Registered RPC Programs on ‘node’ option and enter the Unix machine’s unique hostname in the Node Name or Address field, then hit Apply. 

Another dialog appears containing Registered Program information.  Verify that the PCNFSD process is present in this dialog by scrolling down the list and locating PCNFSD program.  If PCNFSD is NOT present in this dialog, look in the Start - DiskAccess - DiskAccess FAQ for details on how to obtain this process for your type of Unix system.

b. To authenticate using an NIS Domain, you must know the NIS Domain Name.  You must also know the NIS Domain Server name (or IP Address) if the machine containing the NIS master password file is on a different network segment than the DiskAccess machine.

Note

DiskAccess NIS authentication is established using a TCP/IP broadcast.  By default, most routers do not pass a TCP/IP broadcast; therefore, you must know your NIS Domain Server name when the machine containing the NIS password file exists on a Unix server that resides on a different LAN than the PC.

c. Authentication can be established at the Control Panel - DiskAccess Configuration Dialog, see Figure 3.  DiskAccess modifications at Control Panel are global settings and are maintained throughout all the NFS connections. 

d. In the Authentication Dialog, key in a valid Username and Password for a) an existing Unix account on the PCNFSD Server or b) an account that resides in the NIS Domain. 

e. Now specify the appropriate authentication method, PCNFSD Server or NIS Domain Name.  If you have selected PCNFSD Server, enter the hostname of the Unix server running the PCNFSD process.  If you have selected NIS Domain Name, enter the correct NIS Domain Name and the NIS Server name if necessary.  Now select OK. 

If authentication is successful, DiskAccess displays an alert box similar to the one in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Successful Authentication with 2536/500 NFS Credentials

If authentication or NFS Login is unsuccessful, DiskAccess displays an alert box similar to the one in Figure 5, allowing you to accept the current NFS credentials or to reattempt another user authentication.

If you received an NFS Login failure, try authenticating again after i) verifying that the username and password are valid and have been entered correctly in the appropriate fields, and ii) verifying that the network connectivity’s are successful between the PC and the PCNFSD Server or the NIS Domain Server.

After the authentication process, the connection to NFS file system occurs.  The privileges and permissions for the current UID / GID will be maintained during the connection.

4. Ready to make an NFS Connection?  Before establishing an NFS network connection, it is recommended that you verify that Unix file systems have been exported and that you have access to these exports. 

a. Select the Start - Programs - DiskAccess - Show Mounts.  Specify the List Exported File Systems option, and enter the Unix unique hostname in the Server Name or Address field.  Another dialog appears containing two columns:  a list of exported file systems from the Unix server and their respective Access Control List (ACL).  The ACL contains a list of machines that have special access to that specific export.

b. For testing purposes record one of the exported file systems that is not restricted or gives access to “everyone”.  Contact your Unix Administrator and request one if there is not an export available to everyone.

5. Create an NFS connection by testing an exported file system available to “everyone”.    NFS connections can be established by manually browsing the NFS Network of the Explorer Window or by using the Map Network Drive Utility.

a. Use the Map Network Drive Utility from Explorer as shown in Figure 6 to make an NFS connection.  Key in the Universal Naming Convention (UNC), in the Path field, where the UNC syntax is, \\NFSserver_name\export_name

Note

If you would like this NFS connection to reconnect every time you logon to Windows, click Reconnect_at_Logon.

In the Map Network Drive example, the export available to “everyone” is \usr, the NFS server is “sunlab1” and the Drive Letter is F.  After selecting OK from the Map Network Drive Dialog, the DiskAccess Authentication Dialog appears again.  If you want to make this connection with the current DiskAccess W95/W98 global settings, select OK, or modify existing configuration or username/password and continue.

b. DiskAccess indicates if the NFS Login is successful (or unsuccessful) and the Unix file system, \\sunlab1\usr, is connected as the drive letter, F, on the local PC.  Files and directories on the Unix server can be modified, copied, or deleted from the PC, provided that the present UID/GID have the appropriate permissions to do so.

c. If the NFS Login is unsuccessful or if the NFS connection fails, verify that,

• You have entered the authentication username and password correctly.
• You can ping the Unix server and the PC in both directions by hostname.
• The exported file system is available to “everyone” or that your PC hostname (or fully qualified name) has access to the export.

Note 

If the ACL for the export provides the fully qualified domain name, network connectivity tests and connections must be based on the fully qualified domain name.

6. What about optimization? Optimizing DiskAccess on Windows 95/W98 may be necessary at times. 

a. For instance:  If you have multiple networks installed or if NFS connections are noticeably slow, then you may want to establish NFS connections using NFS syntax, in the Path field, you would key in: 

NFSserver_name:/export_name 

b. For Instance:  If all of your files do NOT display in Explorer and these NFS directories have many files in them or their file sizes are extremely large, then reduce READ BUFFERS before making that NFS connection.  This option is located on the DiskAccess Configuration Dialog under Mount Options.