Technical Notes

Migrating from the Sun Solstice Client to Reflection NFS or Reflection Suite for X
Technical Note 1091
Last Reviewed 10-May-2005
Applies To
Reflection Suite for X version 10.0 or higher
Reflection NFS Client version 10.0 or higher
Sun Solstice Network Client version 3.0 through 3.2
Sun Solstice NFS Client version 3.0 through 3.2
Summary

Reflection NFS Client and Reflection Suite for X provide functionality that is equivalent to Sun's Solstice NFS client and Solstice Network client. This technical note explains how to properly uninstall and replace Solstice with the comparable Reflection products, and provides information on some differences between the two products.

Matching Sun Clients to Reflection Clients

Sun provides NFS functionality in two products: Solstice NFS Client and Solstice Network Client. Sun's Solstice NFS Client can be replaced with the Reflection NFS Client. Solstice Network Client, which includes an NFS client and an X server, can be replaced with Reflection Suite for X.

Note: The Reflection NFS Client standalone product is also included as a component of several Reflection products. For further details, refer to Technical Note 3000.

Uninstalling Solstice

Warning: If you do not properly uninstall Solstice before installing Reflection, you may encounter errors or experience problems making network connections.

Uninstalling the Solstice NFS or Network Client involves three procedures: removing NFS Printers, disconnecting mapped NFS network drives, and removing the Solstice Client using Add/Remove Programs. Follow the instructions below in the order presented.

Removing NFS Printers

1. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
2. In the Printers dialog box, select an NFS printer icon. On the File menu, click Delete.

Disconnecting Mapped NFS Network Drives

1. From Windows Explorer or My Computer, select an NFS-mounted drive.
2. On the File menu, click Disconnect.

Removing the Solstice NFS or Network Client

1. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. From the list of installed programs, select Solstice, and then click Add/Remove. When the confirmation box opens, click Yes to remove the Solstice Client software.

4. After Solstice has completed uninstalling, click OK to dismiss the Add/Remove Programs dialog box.
5. Using Windows Explorer, delete the folders that were originally created by the Solstice Client during installation. Typically, the program installs a Solstice folder in the Program Files folder on your hard drive.
6. Restart your computer.

Warning: You must restart your computer before installing Reflection.

Operating System Support

Reflection NFS Client versions 12.0 or higher can be run on Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2000. For information about prior Reflection NFS Client versions and Windows operating system support, see Technical Note 1421.

Installing Reflection

To install Reflection NFS Client or Reflection Suite for X, insert the Reflection CD in your CD-ROM drive. If the Install program does not appear automatically, open the CD drive using Windows Explorer and double-click Install.exe.

Select the installation option that you prefer, and then follow the instructions as they are presented.

Note: You must restart your computer after installing Reflection NFS.

Key Differences Between the NFS Clients

The following sections discuss some key differences between the Sun's Solstice NFS client and the Reflection NFS client.

Authentication

By default, the NFS Client prompts for user name and password information whenever you log onto Windows. There are a number of ways you can simplify NFS authentication. Options include:

• Saving your user name and password information
• Logging onto NFS hosts using your Windows credentials *
• Using a single PCNFSD logon to access files on multiple hosts
• Authenticating using NIS
• Authenticating using an LDAP directory *
• Mapping drives to use unique logons for different NFS hosts

* Introduced in Reflection NFS Client 13.0.

For example, you can configure the NFS Client to store your user name and password information and to use these values for PCNFSD authentication. With this configuration you won’t see a separate NFS logon after you log onto Windows.

These options are briefly described below. For examples and further details, see the product help or documentation.

Saving Your User Name and Password Information

The NFS Client can store your user name and password so you don’t need to reenter this information for each new Windows session. Cached password information is stored in encrypted form in the Windows registry.

The NFS Client uses your saved credentials instead of displaying the initial NFS logon window if you have configured any of the following:

• PCNFSD authentication with Obtain user identification (UID/GID) from only this host enabled.
• Authentication using a NIS server.
• Authentication using an LDAP server.

The NFS Client also uses saved credentials instead of displaying secondary NFS windows when you attempt to access mapped drives. A secondary NFS logon window is displayed only if the stored credentials are not valid for the NFS server on which the mapped folder resides.

Logging onto NFS Hosts Using Your Windows Credentials

This procedure configures NFS to use your Windows logon credentials to access your NFS servers. When your Windows and NFS credentials match, you don’t see the initial NFS logon window if you have also configured any of the following:

• PCNFSD authentication with Obtain user identification (UID/GID) from only this host enabled.
• Authentication using a NIS server.
• Authentication using an LDAP server.

The NFS Client logs you onto your primary host using your Windows user name and password. (This host can be the one you have specified for PCNFSD authentication, or a NIS or LDAP server.) For this to work as expected, UID and GID values must be synchronized throughout the network.

Simplifying Authentication to Multiple NFS Hosts

If you need access to files on several NFS hosts, you can streamline the authentication process to those hosts. Review the following information to see which of these methods is appropriate for your situation.

Using a Single PCNFSD Logon

Use this procedure if you use PCNFSD authentication and you don’t want to log on separately to each NFS host. With this configuration, the NFS Client logs you onto a specified primary host the first time you try to access any NFS server. This logon uses your default user name and password. (Depending on your configuration, the default user name and password may be the credentials you enter in the initial NFS logon window, saved credentials, or your Windows credentials.) If the initial logon is successful, you can access any other NFS hosts that recognize the same user identification values (UID/GID) as the primary host. For this to work as expected, UID and GID values must be synchronized throughout the network.

For non-anonymous authentication to an NFS host, NFS requires the host to be running the PCNFSD server daemon. Sites that have been successfully running Sun Solstice should already have this daemon present and configured, and the Reflection NFS Client should be configured to use the existing authentication server. Individual host user accounts do not need to be modified.

If your NFS site configuration is dependent on using NFS broadcasts to locate authentication servers, you must configure the NFS Client to access the PCNFSD servers directly. Reflection NFS does not broadcast for PCNFSD servers; however, Reflection NFS can be configured to broadcast for NIS authentication servers. For further details, see the NIS section below.

PCNFSD was included in Sun Solstice software packages, and on Sun Solaris hosts. Sun no longer provides support for PCNFSD; however, they have given us permission to make PCNFSD available to our customers. If you wish to use PCNFSD for authentication, and do not currently have PCNFSD on your NFS server, you can obtain a copy of PCNFSD from us. For further details, see Technical Note 1429.

Using a Single NIS Logon

When configuring Reflection NFS to use NIS maps for authentication, you must specify an NIS domain and server for binding. The NIS domain must be specified by name. The NIS server can be specified by name, or Reflection can be configured to broadcast (whole network or local subnet only) for the first available NIS server in the NIS domain.

Note the following:

• Sun Solstice can use NIS maps (such as hosts.byname) to provide host name resolution for Windows. Reflection NFS can also use these NIS maps when browsing for NFS hosts; however, other applications cannot utilize this feature.
• Reflection NFS Client does not currently support NIS +, but can be used in an NIS + environment if NIS emulation is enabled.

Using a Single LDAP Directory Logon

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a set of protocols for accessing information directories. If LDAP is supported at your site, starting with Reflection version 13.0, you can configure the NFS Client to authenticate using information stored in an LDAP directory.

Using an LDAP-enabled directory server for NFS authentication is similar to using NIS; it provides a central location for storing and accessing user and system information.

Scripted Drive Mapping

Reflection NFS Client's scripted drive mapping feature is a powerful option that allows automatic drive mapping at logon. Starting in Reflection version 13.0, this feature is available for use weather you are authenticating using PCNFSD, NIS, or LDAP. In prior versions, this feature was available only for NIS authentication— Enabling administrators to use NIS logon script maps or auto.home and auto.group maps for drive mapping.

Automount

• In the Reflection NFS Client, automounts can be accessed by navigating to Entire Network > NFS Network > Automount.
• In version 10.x, when viewing the \Automount folder in Reflection, you will see both the automount points and all associated first-tier subfolders. For example, if you have two automount points, \home and \sales, your main automount folder will look similar to the following:

Product Name	Automount Information Displayed
Sun Solaris NFS Client	\home \sales
Reflection NFS Client	\home\rsmith \home\jmajors … \sales\january \sales\february …

Reconnecting Mapped Drives

• As long as "Reconnect at logon" is selected (the default), NFS drives mapped through Windows Explorer are reconnected at login. Your password can be cached or forwarded for your mapped drives, depending on the version of Reflection NFS Client you are using and the authentication and password caching options you have selected on the Authentications tab of the NFS Settings dialog box. For further details, click Help on the Authentication tab.
• To re-establish mapped drives using a batch file, use the net use command. For details, type net use /?.
• To re-establish mapped drives using NIS, see the product help.

Obtaining Additional Product and Support Information

There is extensive product and support information available for Reflection NFS Client and Reflection Suite for X. Click the links below for additional information.

Reflection NFS

For Reflection NFS product information, see the following web page:

http://www.attachmate.com/Products/Host+Connectivity/PC+X+Server/nfs/

For a list of Technical Notes on troubleshooting and configuring Reflection NFS, see Technical Note 5008.

Reflection Suite for X

For Reflection Suite for X product information, see the following web page:

http://www.attachmate.com/Products/Host+Connectivity/PC+X+Server/rsx/

For a list of Technical Notes on troubleshooting and configuring Reflection X, see Technical Note 9992.

Related Technical Notes

1429	Installing and Running the Pcnfsd Server Daemon on Your Sun Host
3000	Reflection Suites
5008	Technical Notes for Reflection NFS Products
9992	Reflection X Technical Notes