Redirecting absolute symbolic links

About redirecting absolute symbolic links

NFS clients interpret the file system location represented by an absolute symbolic link based on how the file systems are mounted on the client. CIFS clients do not have access to NFS clients' mount information.

To allow CIFS clients to follow absolute symbolic links on the filer, you must redirect the absolute symbolic link so that CIFS clients can interpret the file system location represented by the absolute symbolic link. You can redirect absolute symbolic links by creating entries in the /etc/symlink.translations file. The /etc/symlink.translations file performs the same role on the filer as automounter tables on UNIX servers.

Ways to redirect symbolic links

You can redirect absolute symbolic links on the filer using one or both of the following methods:

Create Map entries in the /etc/symlink.translations file
Create Widelink entries in the /etc/symlink.translations file

For details about Map entries, see About Map entries. For information about Widelink entries, see About Widelink entries.

Creating Map entries

To create Map entries to redirect absolute symbolic links in a CIFS environment, complete the following steps.

Step	Action
1	Open the /etc/symlink.translations file for editing.
2	Enter one or more lines in the file using the following format: Map template result template is used to match absolute symbolic links. result is a filer path that is substituted for the matching absolute symbolic link. Examples: Map /u/users/charlie/* /home/charlie/* Map /temp1/* /vol/vol2/util/t/*

Step

Action

Open the /etc/symlink.translations file for editing.

Enter one or more lines in the file using the following format:

Map template result

template is used to match absolute symbolic links.

result is a filer path that is substituted for the matching absolute symbolic link.

Examples:

Map /u/users/charlie/* /home/charlie/*

Map /temp1/* /vol/vol2/util/t/*

Creating Widelink entries

To create Widelink entries, complete the following steps.

Step	Action
1	Open the /etc/symlink.translations file for editing.
2	Enter one or more lines in the file using the following format: Widelink template [@qtree] result template is the UNIX path name. result is the CIFS UNC path name. @qtree can be optionally specified to allow multiple entries in different qtrees to have the same template value. Examples In the following examples, result uses CIFS path name syntax, with backslashes as separators, and allows an embedded space. The wildcard character () in the template path name represents zero or more characters, including the slash character (/). In the result path name, the wildcard character represents text from the corresponding match in the template path name. Widelink /eng/proj/ @/vol/vol2 \\filer\hw\proj\* Widelink /eng/proj/* \\filer\sw\proj\*

Step

Action

Open the /etc/symlink.translations file for editing.

Enter one or more lines in the file using the following format:

Widelink template [@qtree] result

template is the UNIX path name.

result is the CIFS UNC path name.

@qtree can be optionally specified to allow multiple entries in different qtrees to have the same template value.

Examples

In the following examples, result uses CIFS path name syntax, with backslashes as separators, and allows an embedded space. The wildcard character (*) in the template path name represents zero or more characters, including the slash character (/). In the result path name, the wildcard character represents text from the corresponding match in the template path name.

Widelink /eng/proj/* @/vol/vol2 \\filer\hw\proj\*

Widelink /eng/proj/* \\filer\sw\proj\*

How the filer uses Map and Widelink entries

To allow CIFS clients to follow absolute symbolic links, the filer searches the entries in the etc/symlink.translations file in sequential order until a matching entry is found or the lookup fails. The filer uses the first matching entry it finds to generate a path to the destination. Therefore, it is important to put the most restrictive entries first to prevent premature mapping errors.

Example

This example shows how to list Map entries. /u/home/* is more specific than /u/*.

Map /u/home/* /vol/vol2/home/*

Map /u/* /vol/vol0/*

Example

This example shows how to list Widelink entries.

Widelink /u/docs/* \\filer\engr\tech pubs\*

Widelink /u/* \\filer\engr\*