Windows Server Shared folder as image repository

[HaRD]

Server

• FOG Version: 1.3.4
• OS: CentOS 7

Client

• Service Version:
• OS: Windows 7 Pro x64 SP1

Description

Good day everyone,
recently I was looking for a ways to hook up FOG image repository into Windows server shared folder.

I’ve managed to mount //vserver5/install/IMAGEs to /mnt/images (by editing /etc/fstab) and in FOG Storage Node settings I’ve managed (somehow) to add new Storage Node. The web GUI shows correct information about new storage node (disk usage), but that seems to be all - when I try to capture new image using new Storage Node, I am getting error “Permission denied” (unable to mount /mnt/images/dev).

Is there easy workaround? Or do I have to set permissions for //vserver5/install/IMAGEs on Windows Server 2012 R2 to Everyone / Anonymous? Or am I to take completely different approach to this problem?

Thank you for advice.

[HaRD]

Oh, btw, I’ve read this https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Windows_Storage_Node - just wondering, if there is workaround, which would not require to install FTP server at target machine (vserver5) and so on.

[Tom Elliott]

The way fog works uses FTP to do the image transfer and what not, so just asking for a workaround for a system that’s heavily in place already seems a bit out of scope for what we actually DO.

You can figure out how to do this if you’d like, but this isn’t (at least doesn’t sound to me) like something people have done before. – With FOG

Is there a particular reason you need to use a Windows Share as the storage location? (I understand the why, but it won’t work as I think you’re imagining it will).

[Quazz]

The reason it’s failing is because you’re trying to export a drive that’s mounted from an external source. In a default installation, this won’t work. Some people have tried some (I think it was kernel) changes to allow for it, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Given that you have a Windows Server 2012 you should be able to set it up as an NFS server directly, no need to use Samba sharing.

[Wayne Workman]

@HaRD
Read this. https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/9952/use-windows-share-to-store-fog-image-with-cifs-on-ubuntu
But I think it’s a bad idea. If it explodes, we can’t help you with it.

[george1421]

A while ago I wrote a proof of concept tutorial for turning a Windows server into a FOG storage node. https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/6941/windows-server-as-fog-storage-node-proof-of-concept-blog

You can not add additional space to your fog server by sharing disks on another server. This method is asking for problems. But you can turn another server into a FOG storage node (so to speak). By using a fog storage node and a the fog location plugin you can train all of your computers to image from the storage node instead of the master node.