Appendix E

The NFSprobe Utility

The NFSprobe utility is designed for getting some useful information about computers (i.e. running NFS servers) available across your TCP/IP-based network. It allows you to check availability of exported resources on those systems you might mount to your PC. You can use NFSprobe to recognize your network environment for solving particular NFS tasks or network troubles.

While running, NFSprobe logs all information obtained from NFS servers on its requests to the nfsprobe.ptr file.

When you start NFSprobe, the NFSprobe window appears:

When you click the Exit button on the menu, NFSprobe closes the window and exits. The other commands are described below.

The RPC_Info Command

If you click the RPC_Info button on the menu, NFSprobe brings up the Rpc Information dialog box.

This option allows you to display a list of all RPC services registered with 'rpcbind' on remote hosts (like the 'rpcinfo' command does, i.e. it makes an RPC call to an RPC server and reports what it finds).

You can change the following available options as required.

UDP

Specifies the UDP transport on which the RPC service is required (i.e. which has to be used for contacting given RPC services).

TCP

Specifies the TCP transport on which the RPC service is required (i.e. which has to be used for contacting given RPC services) on the specified host.

Host IP address

In this field, you specify the IP address of a remote host as the RPC server.

Use Broadcast Request

When enabled, this check box specifies to make a RPC broadcast to RPC servers (in your LAN) and to report all hosts and RPC programs that respond.

Show All Rpc Programs

When enabled, this check box allows you to displays a list of all registered RPC programs (with program numbers and version numbers) on specified host(s). Otherwise, information about 'rpcbind', 'mountd', and 'nfsd' is only displayed.

The Time Command

The Time command has two options: UTC_Time and Local_Time. These let you display Universal and Local time respectively on NFS server sites of your network and your PC as well.

The Diagnose Command

The Diagnose command has two options: Servers and Client. The Client option lets you check that your NFS-Client was installed with all components needed and is now functioning normally. The Servers option checks access to available NFS servers on your network. You can view output information in the NFSprobe window.

The Network File System Checking Window

If you choose the Server option, NFSprobe brings up the Network File System Checking window with the default values in entry fields of the Options and Authentication sections. You can change available fields to the values as required.

If you click the Close button, NFSprobe closes the window and returns you back to the NFSprobe window.

If you click the Show Servers button in the Network File System Checking window with the Use Broadcast Requests check box enabled, then NFSprobe will send broadcast requests (using current Options and Authentication settings) to locate all available remote NFS servers, collect reply information, and make up the list of computers (NFS servers) found currently available across your network (LAN). You can view the hosts on the Host list box.

With the Use Broadcast Requests check box disabled, you must enter the IP address of a remote host in the Host list box and click the Check Server button to collect reply information from the NFS server specified.

If the Ask to connect via SSH check box is enabled, then you will be prompted to choose one of secure connection channels (using the SSH2 protocol) previously established between your PC and a remote SSH server.

Enter the IP address of an NFS server of your interest or select it from the Host list box, then click the Show Exports button. NFSprobe will display a list of exported resources of that NFS server.

Note that each exported directory may have a list of users which are allowed to access to it. To mount a remote resource according to the remote NFS access lists, you must provide valid values for UserID and GroupID in the Authentication section. If the user exists in several groups, they can be specified in the Group IDs field with the space or comma characters as separators. (The main group is specified in the GroupID field and the other groups are specified in the Group IDs field.)

Note that in an NFS network, once the user is authenticated, that user's access to network file resources is further defined by the permissions granted for certain files and folders. When browsing, you will be able to see all the exported folders, however, viewing the contents of the folders as well as opening and editing files will depend on whether you have the correct permissions.

When you select one of the exported directories seen in the Exported Resources list and click the Mount button, the Drive list box will be filled in with free drive letters of your PC.

If you click the Read Directory button, NFSprobe will output the contents of the exported directory in the NFSprobe window.

To control NFSprobe, you can use the following options in the Options section:

Timeout

This option is used to specify the amount of time (in seconds) that NFSprobe will wait for response on MOUNT and NFS protocols requests it sends to other computers over the network.

Max Retry Number

This option is used to specify a number of times not-replying occurs during the timeout specified before a timeout error due to no response from a server.

The NFStrace Utility

The NFStrace utility is designed for setting a number of trace flags (by toggling related check boxes) and passing them to the DLL and Driver modules of NFS-Client. According to the Trace Flags set, NFS-Client will store related information into the trace files you specified.

Normally, users should not arbitrarily turn on/off Trace Flags. The flags can noticeably slow down the traffic and generate a great amount of data. The NFStrace utility is meant for testing and analyzing NFS environment of your network.

You can run NFStrace under MS Windows NT4/2000/XP.

When you start NFStrace, the NFS Client Trace Flags window appears:

If you click the Close button, NFStrace closes the window with no changes.

Pressing the Apply button passes the Trace Flags set to the DLL and Driver modules of NFS-Client and closes the window.

Refresh restores all Trace Flags in the window to their initial states (when loaded NFS Driver and/or the latest Apply).

With the Save to use in next sessions check box enabled, you can store the current settings (after Apply) and load them later (while loading NFS Driver).

The DLL Trace File and Driver Trace File fields specify the files to contain tracing data.