Microsoft Cluster Server May Not Share Folders Automatically (257389)

SYMPTOMS

When you use User Manager for Domains to create domain users and you specify that the path for the user home folders be located on the file share resource of your Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) that is running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 (SP4), the user home folders are created. However, the user home folders may not be automatically shared. Because of this, a user may be unable to map a drive to his or her home folder.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because User Manager for Domains creates home folders with permissions set to Username-Full Control. Because of this, the Cluster service (Clussvc) does not have the appropriate permissions to share the user home folders.

RESOLUTION

For a small number of directories, you can manually add the Clussvc with at least Read permissions on the users folder. To bring the modified folders online, the FileShare resoruce can be restarte, or the folder can be renamed to something different then back to the desired folder name.

For a large number of directories, it may be easier to use the Cacls.exe tool that is included with the Microsoft Windows Resource Kit to grant the user account that is used by Clussvc at least Read permissions on the file share resource folder. For example, the following command grants Read permissions to the UserAccount account on all folders under the file share resource folder.

NOTE: You must run this command from a command prompt on the file share resource folder after you create the user home folders.

for /d %i in (*) do cacls %i /e /g useraccount:r

After you run this command, you must take the file share resource offline, and then bring it back online so that other shares can be created.

MORE INFORMATION

Starting with SP4 for Windows NT 4.0, an administrator can create a large number of shares under a file share resource in MSCS version 1.0.

MSCS is most commonly used as a file server. However, it is also often used to host users' home folders. When you create users by using User Manager for Domains, you can specify that the path for the user home folders be located on the file share resource that is already created on your MSCS server. For additional information about this issue, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

254219 Security Considerations When Implementing Clustered File Shares

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: