Hard to Explain MS Office/Server/Unix Share Issue

[Darryl_15]

We have been banging our heads about this issue for the past month and are getting nowhere. I really wish I could draw this out for you as its has been easier to explain with pictures. Here goes!

Environment (until September 7th, 2008):
* Windows 2003 Standard Server (on VMWare Server 1.x) configured to be a file server, printer server, application server and main Terminal server. Name OLDSERVER1
* HP UX B.11.11 machine on HP hardware, running our proprietary software and sharing multiple folders out. Named UXSERVER1
* Windows 2003 Standard Server (on VMWare Server 1.x) configured with Microsoft's Services for Unix to bridge the gap between the Windows and HP-UX servers. Named SERVER2
* FTP server running on SUSE 10.1, with shares to UXSERVER1, UXSERVER2 and SERVER2.

On September 7th, we migrated to a physical machine, set to replace OLDSERVER1, as the virtual environment was not working for us. This server is set up to host the same services and has the same updates as OLDSERVER1 (except for the ones that came out this week, as they require a reboot). This one will be named SERVER1.

On September 21st, we added a HP UX B.11.31 machine on HP hardware, migrated our proprietary software to it, and shared multiple folders out. Named UXSERVER2 - this is now our "production" unix environment.

MS Office 2000 is installed on both OLDSERVER1 and SERVER1 and the Windows XP Clients.

Here's where it gets tricky:

Users on OLDSERVER1 and SERVER1 have been able to access the shares from UXSERVER1 through SERVER2 since day one. Users can consistently open from and save to the NFS shares. Users can also open from and save to these shares any text/ASCII/csv type files. Users on OLDSERVER1 and SERVER1 can also access/save any text-based files to UXSERVER2. We are also able to open and save files to the FTP Server shares, through SERVER2.

When users on OLDSERVER1 and SERVER1 try to open any file (csv, xls, doc) with MS Word or Excel from the shares on UXSERVER2, the operation times out and they are given the following error:

"Filename cannot be accessed. The file may be read-only or you may be trying access a read only location. Or, the server the document is stored on may not be responding"

giving RETRY and CANCEL as two options to act with.

Have checked the permissions multiple times on both the SFU share settings, the NFS share settings and the files/directories themselves, everything is setup identically to UXSERVER1. The error happens to user both logged into SERVER1 through Terminal Services, and to users on XP machines.

We are able to copy the files from the share on UXSERVER2 to the users desktop, edit the file from there, save it there and copy the file back to the share on UXSERVER2 without issues. The error only occurs when you are trying to save from within Word or Excel to the share on UXSERVER2.

When we migrated between UXSERVER1 and UXSERVER2, we copied the passwd and shadow files from UXSERVER1 to UXSERVER2 to preserve the UIDs and GIDs.

Any help or idea would greatly be appreciated. These server switches were supposed to make everyone's life better but instead its added several extra steps to our streamlined processes. If you need anything clarified, ask!

Thanks in advance.

[Rita C Workman]

Did you check the permissions on the UNIX box and give them "full" r/w capability?

OMG, if I read this right........full permission to write from something running MS bridged TO a UNIX box. I don't feel good - I need to rest....anybody got some aspirin.


Sorry-hope I didn't sound like a UNIX snob.
Rgrds,
Rita

[Rita C Workman]

You did make a significant change from an 11.11 box to a 11.31 box.
Have you considered trying a different direction?

Like maybe instead making the MS the server controlling the NFS mount - make the UNIX host the shared driver server using SAMBA/CIFS.

It could be an issue between Windows 2003 and HPUX 11.31 (possibly IA).

Just a thought,
Rita

[Darryl_15]

Rita,

I had not mentioned anything about full permissions on the two unix servers, but it is a good point to bring up.

The directories that are accessed through SERVER2 have full rwx permissions set on them, and further access is controlled using domain accounts/groups through the SFU program. The "Everyone/body" group has no access whatsoever to any of our folders.