[Linux] How to Expose an SMB Share as an NFS Storage Unit

Prerequisites

1. A machine where MetaDefender Storage Security is installed (let's call it MDSS machine)
2. An SMB share from a Linux or Windows machine

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to configure the SMB share as an NFS storage unit in MDSS:

Step 1: Install cifs-utils

On the MDSS machine, you will need the cifs-utils package to enable mounting of SMB shares.

Install it using your distribution's package manager.

Step 2: Create new mounting directory

Create a dedicated directory on the MDSS machine where the SMB share will be mounted.

The new directory must be at the following path /mnt/mdss/nfs/{my-new-folder} where {my-new-folder} is a name you choose for your share.

Step 3: Perform the mount

This step involves preparing credentials and then executing the mount command.

3.1 Create a credentials file containing the SMB server credentials

Create a file, for instance at /etc/smb-credentials, to store the SMB server login details. The file should contain:

username={username}

password={password}

domain={domain} # optional

Replace {username}, {password} and (if needed) {domain} with the actual credentials for the SMB share.

3.2 Secure the credentials file

To protect the sensitive information in the credentials file, restrict its permissions and ownership:

• set permissions so only the owner can read and write:

sudo chmod 600 /etc/smb-credentials

• set ownership to root:

3.3 Perform the mount

Execute the mount command to connect the SMB share to the directory you created. The command format is:

• replace //server/share with the actual path to your SMB share
• replace /mnt/mdss/nfs/{my-new-folder} with the mount directory you created.
• ensure the path to your credentials file is correct

Step 4: Ensure mount is persistent

To make sure the SMB share automatically mounts after the MDSS machine restarts, add an entry to the /etc/fstab file. Without this, the mount will be lost upon reboot.

An example entry in /etc/fstab might look like this (adapt it to your specific paths and options):

You may need to adjust options like uid and gid to ensure proper file permissions for MDSS.

Step 5: Add the mounted directory in MDSS

Once the SMB share is successfully mounted and persistance is configured:

• open the MetaDefender Storage Security user interface
• Navigate to the section for adding a new storage unit
• Choose to add an NFS storage unit
• In the configuration, specify the Mount directory as the folder you created and used in Step 2 ({my-new-folder})
• You'll also typically provide a Storage name and potentially save it as a new account or assign it to a group, as suggested by the screenshot below: