File Sharing Between NFS and CIFS Users 5-3
CIFS client applications often perform operations such as writing to a temporary file,
renaming the original file to a backup name, then renaming the temporary file to the
original name. Therefore, take care in using symbolic links whose ultimate target is a
file, as opposed to a directory. If the original file were targeted directly by a symbolic
link, this sequence of operations would have the resultunintended by the applica-
tionof the file being stored in the directory where the symbolic link was, and the
renamed symbolic link pointing at the original file rather than to the updated file. For
symbolic links to directories, this type of situation does not arise.
Because many PC applications work as described previously, if there are symbolic
links that point to files, a PC could encounter such symbolic links. It is best to disable
symbolic links for CIFS when there are symbolic links that point to files.
If you expect many files to be changed by applications that update files as described,
you might want to disable symbolic links for CIFS.
+RZWR(QDEOHDQG'LVDEOH6\PEROLF/LQNV
You enable and disable symbolic links with the cifs.symlinks.enable option. The
option is On by default.
To disable symbolic links for CIFS, use
options cifs.symlinks.enable off
To reenable symbolic links for CIFS, use
options cifs.symlinks.enable on
+RZWR5HGLUHFW$EVROXWH6\PEROLF/LQNV
In a UNIX environment, the NFS client interprets the file system location represented
by an absolute symbolic link. The CIFS client cannot do this. In a CIFS environment,
the filer enables you to redirect absolute symbolic links on the filer.
For example, you might want to redirect symbolic links pointing at the
/u/users/charlie
directory to the /home/charlie directory on the filer. You do so by specifying symbolic
link redirection mappings in a text file named /etc/symlink.translations.
The format of the /etc/symlink.translations file is:
Map link target
where both link and target are absolute symbolic link path names.
For example, the entry:
Map /u/users/charlie/* /home/charlie/*
makes symbolic links pointing at the /u/users/charlie directory point to the /home/
charlie directory.