VSI-AXPVMS-SAMBA-V0406-5D-1-RELNOTE.PDF

VMS Software Inc. (VSI) has released Samba for OpenVMS, Version 4.6-5D (October 2019), a significant update based on Samba 4.6.5, replacing previous CIFS versions.

Key Highlights:

• Significant Enhancements: Introduces support for AES encryption, SMB2 and SMB3 protocols, and Heimdal Kerberos.
• WINBIND Redesign: WINBIND functionality, providing user and group identity mapping, is now a separate process, improving name resolution and lookup efficiency.
• Reduced Resource Usage: Improvements to direct and buffered I/O, and reduced polling of the SMBD process.
• New Capabilities: Includes support for print services, improved handling of Unicode filenames, and enhanced installation/configuration procedures.
• Naming Convention: The product will now consistently be referred to as "Samba" for OpenVMS.

System Requirements:

• OpenVMS Version 8.4-1H1 or higher.
• VSI, HPE, or MultiNet TCP/IP stack.
• Must be installed and used on an ODS-5-enabled file system (ODS-2 is not supported for installation or file shares).

Installation and Configuration:

• Installed via PRODUCT INSTALL SAMBA.
• Includes a configuration utility (SAMBA$CONFIG.COM) that can migrate existing CIFS for OpenVMS configurations.
• Requires specific SYSGEN parameter increases (PROCSECTCNT, CHANNELCNT).
• Sets up OpenVMS accounts (e.g., SAMBA$SMBD) and logical names.

Limitations and Known Issues (Important):

• Cluster Support: Minimal cluster support; running Samba simultaneously on multiple cluster members sharing the same SAMBA$ROOT directory tree is not supported (manual failover only). Simultaneous operation requires separate SAMBA$ROOT trees.
• Domain Roles: Classic Primary/Backup Domain Controller (PDC/BDC) and Active Directory Domain Controller roles are not supported in this release (planned for future).
• Windows Client Compatibility: Not supported for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows 7 clients.
• TCPware TCP/IP: Requires manual configuration of network interfaces.
• Known Bugs: Several specific issues are documented, including NetBIOS name handling in clusters, file/directory naming conflicts, and complexities with Kerberos authentication via SMBCLIENT requiring privilege adjustments.
• Source Code: Not included in the kit, but available upon request.

Fixed Issues:

• Addressed a critical locking issue preventing simultaneous Samba runs on separate SAMBA$ROOT cluster trees.
• Fixed issues with Windows 7 client copy/paste, file saving, navigation, and "Access denied" errors when opening files.
• Resolved problems with incorrect file ownership and user/group management utilities.

Product Roadmap: VSI plans regular updates to support the latest OpenVMS versions (including x86), enhance functionality, improve security/performance, and maintain parity with Open Source Samba.