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  • 1.  OS Upgrade from 7.1 to 7.3 - IFS issue

    Posted Tue January 10, 2023 01:56 PM
    Hi,

    We just upgraded from 7.1 to 7.3 (7.5 scheduled later this year).  We are having issues with users accessing the QDLS folder.  Does anyone have experience with this? How did you resolve?

    Thanks in advance.
    Basil

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    Basil Johnson
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  • 2.  RE: OS Upgrade from 7.1 to 7.3 - IFS issue

    IBM Champion
    Posted Tue January 10, 2023 06:49 PM
    Edited by Satid Singkorapoom Tue January 10, 2023 07:48 PM
    Dear Basil

    How do you access files in QDLS - from PC clients with Map Network Drive or from programs running in IBM i?   If from PC clients, have you run the command STRTCPSVR *NETSVR yet?  If so already, this Technote may be useful for you :  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/mapping-qdls-netserver-share-results-message-not-enough-storage-available-complete-operation

    If none of the above helps, what error message did you get when accessing QDLS? 

    It would help if you can post job log spooled file (QPJOBLOG) that includes any error message when the job tries to access QDLS.  Make sure the log contains second-level detailed message by first running the command CHGJOB LOG(4 0 *SECLVL) before accessing QDLS with, say, WRKLNK '/' and use option 5 to navigate QDLS to see if you get any error message or not. If so, capture the detailed message screen(s) of the error or send the job log spooled file.

    BTW, what is the compelling reason to use QDLS?  It has performance penalty with its access. Using QDLS is like riding a children tricycle when all other better options are available.  Unless there is a case like hard-coded program that specifies QDLS and you have no source code to make modification, QDLS should be abandoned.

    https://www.itechsol.com/why-sharing-the-qdls-directory-in-netserver-should-be-avoided/    
    https://nicklitten.com/as400-dls-vs-ibm-i-ifs-what-is-the-difference/

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    Right action is better than knowledge; but in order to do what is right, we must know what is right.
    -- Charlemagne

    Satid Singkorapoom
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  • 3.  RE: OS Upgrade from 7.1 to 7.3 - IFS issue

    Posted Wed January 11, 2023 08:47 AM
    The version of SMB in 7.3 is now SMB2 and it is the default. It could be your client is trying to access the files using SMB1 still. 

    https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/smb-and-smb2-support-ibm-i-73

    SMB and SMB2 Support at IBM i 7.3

    Troubleshooting


    Problem

    This Technote describes how to switch the IBM i NetServer from the default of using SMB2 to using SMB and vice versa, and also describes how to determine which version of SMB the NetServer is using. The information in this TechNote is for use on OS 730 only. It should not be used for OS 720.

    Symptom

    IBM i NetServer was enhanced at OS 730 to include Server Message Block Version 2 (SMB2) and SMB2 is the default that is negotiated with IBM i NetServer clients at 730. However, SMB2 can be disabled, in which case NetServer will revert to using the older SMB version. The information in this TechNote is for use on OS 730 only. It should not be used for OS 720.

    Resolving The Problem

    *** NOTE ***  In the following CALLs to QZLSMAINT, a space must be included between each parameter in the PARM section. 

    For example:  

    Do not use PARM('40''1''0x80') 

    Do use PARM('40' '1' '0x80')

    Do not use PARM('40''3')

    Do use PARM('40' '3')

    The following steps will disable SMB2 for both Printer and File shares.

    a. Stop NetServer: ENDTCPSVR SERVER(*NETSVR)
    b. Disable NetServer SMB2: CALL QZLSMAINT PARM('40' '1' '0x80')
    c. Start NetServer: STRTCPSVR SERVER(*NETSVR)
    d. NetServer clients (user PCs) that were mapped using SMB2 protocol will need to reboot their PC because of Windows security precautions.
    e.  If strange results are seen in either OLD FLAGS or NEW FLAGS after taking the steps above, then reset the flags by running the following:  CALL QZLSMAINT PARM('40' '3')

     
    SMB2 can be re-enabled using the same steps as above, but replacing the command in step b with the following command:

    CALL QZLSMAINT PARM('40' '2' '0x80')

    In either case above, a QPCSMPRT spooled file is created, and can be found using the WRKSPLF SELECT(*CURRENT) command. Use Option 5 to Display the spooled file. Look at the sections titled OLD FLAGS and NEW FLAGS. OLD FLAGS will contain the value that was in effect before running the CALL to QZLSMAINT. NEW FLAGS will contain the value that is in effect after running the CALL to QZLSMAINT.

    If SMB2 is turned off (disabled), then you will see an 8, as shown in the NEW FLAGS value here:

    OLD FLAGS            
    0000000000000000    
    NEW FLAGS            
    0000000000000080  

    If anything other than an 8 is displayed in this position, then SMB2 is (or, in the case of OLD FLAGS, was previously) in use.


    To determine whether NetServer is using SMB2 (the shipped default) or whether it is using SMB, execute:

    CALL PGM(QZLSMAINT) PARM('40''0')
    ...and then:
    WRKSPLF
    Display the resulting "QPCSMPRT" spooled file. If SMB2 is turned off (disabled), you will see an 8 in both the OLD FLAGS and NEW FLAGS, as shown here:

    OLD FLAGS            
    0000000000000080    
    NEW FLAGS            
    0000000000000080  

    If anything other than an 8 is displayed in this position, then SMB2 is in use.



    Be aware that even if SMB2 is enabled, some clients might default to using SMB (the Samba smbclient, for example) and will not use SMB2 unless the client is specifically set to do so. IBM can not provide instructions on how to set or check what version of SMB a client computer is using. For information on how to do so, contact whoever supports the Operating System running on that client computer.


    To reset all of the flags back to zeros and have (the default), again stop the NetServer then call the command:

    CALL QZLSMAINT PARM ('40' '3')

    When you view the QPCSMPRT spooled files the new flags should all be zeros.



    To set the NetServer to only allow SMB2 and reject SMB1 and CIFS negotiations, end the NetServer then call the commands:

    CALL QZLSMAINT PARM('40' '3')
    CALL QZLSMAINT PARM('40' '1' '0X100')

    This will produce two spooled files, in the first one the old flags will be whatever they were previously set to and the new flags will be zero. The second will have old flags of zeros and new flags 0000000000000100.


    Also, a TRCCNN, collected on the IBM i, will show whether a client is using SMB2 or SMB. To collect a TRCCNN, please follow instructions provided in IBM Technote N1012803 How To Collect SMB LIC and TRCCNN Traces For a Single IP Address.

    For assistance in reviewing TRCCNN output, contact IBM i Support.

    NOTE:  The NetServer service flags that are used to configure SMB behavior at OS 720 and above, do not (and were never intended to) get reset at OS upgrade time.  

    The flags themselves are stored in the NetServer configuration file (/qibm/userdata/os400/NetServer/QAZLSCFG).  That file is not changed at upgrade time unless there is an update to a new format.  

    The flags are designed to be forward compatible so that flag values set at a prior release either alter the server behavior in the same way, or they are ignored at the new release level.

    There are currently at least 10 bits defined and in use in the flags and each hexadecimal bit represents a server behavior change of some sort.  Some of these are used for SMB version configuration and some are used for other purposes.  Zeroing out the flags on upgrade could have unintended consequences if they were being used to change the behavior of a function that is not related to the supported SMB levels.   Resetting the flags back to a zero value will always restore the NetServer behavior back to the shipped defaults, but that might not, in many cases, be the desired behavior.   



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    Jeremy Bowling
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  • 4.  RE: OS Upgrade from 7.1 to 7.3 - IFS issue

    IBM Champion
    Posted Wed January 11, 2023 03:52 PM
    Are the users having issues enrolled in WRKDIRE?

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    Robert Berendt
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  • 5.  RE: OS Upgrade from 7.1 to 7.3 - IFS issue

    IBM Champion
    Posted Wed January 11, 2023 04:03 PM
    Also, what versions of Windows are trying to connect?  For example, is there a difference between users running Windows 10 vs users running Windows 7?
    I believe 7.3 added support for SMB2.

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    Robert Berendt
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  • 6.  RE: OS Upgrade from 7.1 to 7.3 - IFS issue

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu January 12, 2023 12:46 PM
    Instead of altering your IBM i to use lower security you might want to consider having your Windows machines start using SMB2.
    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/troubleshoot/detect-enable-and-disable-smbv1-v2-v3?tabs=server

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    Robert Berendt
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  • 7.  RE: OS Upgrade from 7.1 to 7.3 - IFS issue

    Posted Thu January 12, 2023 05:40 PM
    While it is true that SMB2 is available at 7.3 (actually 7.2 too with a PTF and setting the flags) it doesn't disable the use of SMB1 so your SMB version isn't likely to have anything to do with this issue. 
    The most common cause of this after an upgrade is that the QZLSFILET prestart job is running.  Most systems that still use the old QDLS file system will disable this prestart job so that it doesn't cause problems for users trying to map drives to QDLS.  When you upgrade to a new release, the QSERVER subsystem description in QSYS is replaced and that prestart job is therefore back in play again so you have to go through the steps to disable it as described in this technote: 
    Disabling and Re-Enabling the Use of the Threaded QZLSFILET NetServer Job 

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    Michael Swenson
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