[Global] Section of the Configuration File

The [global] section is a special section in the configuration file that must appear in every configuration file used in a LifeKeeper Samba resource hierarchy. As the name implies, any options set in this section apply to all other sections unless that directive is called out specifically in the other sections. LifeKeeper requires that certain directives be defined in the [global] section. Some of these directives may not exist in a default configuration file and will therefore need to be added. They are:

• netbios name – The unique name given to the set of resources that comprise a LifeKeeper Samba hierarchy. This is the name used by clients to connect to the shares via the IP addresses defined in the interfaces directive (e.g. NetBIOS name = server1_print1).

• interfaces – The list of network addresses for the Linux Samba server to recognize and respond. Here are the requirements for properly configuring the interfaces directive:

º All subnets that are serviced by the Samba server must be listed. These must be LifeKeeper protected addresses and they must be unique within the cluster (no other Samba configuration file should use the same IP addresses).

º The interfaces directive can have multiple formats, IP addresses (dot version or host name), and network interface names and can make use of wild cards. However, the Samba Recovery Kit requires the use of the IP address in dot format (100.25.104.25) without wild cards.

º The subnet mask may be used in conjunction with the IP address but it is not used by LifeKeeper.

º LifeKeeper IP resources for the address specified in this directive must be created prior to the creation of the Samba resource hierarchy. Additionally, if the network mask is applied to the addresses in this directive it must match the mask used on the IP resource when it was created.

º Other non-protected instances of Samba should also use the interfaces directive, being sure to specify IP addresses different than those used by LifeKeeper.

Note: Because of the use of the bind interfaces only directive discussed below, the interfaces directive may need to contain the localhost address of 127.0.0.1 to ensure proper operation of the utility smbpasswd. See Running Multiple Instances of Samba for information to help you determine whether the localhost address is needed.

• lock directory (or lock dir) – The name and location of a unique lock file location for the Samba instance on all servers. This directory must already exist on all servers in the cluster.

Note: This directive is sometimes call lock dir. The Samba Recovery Kit will handle both directive names.

• bind interfaces only – This directive tells smbd and nmbd processes to serve SMB requests on the addresses defined in the interfaces directive only. It must be set to Yes. Other non-protected instances of Samba running on the system must also have this directive set to yes. When set to yes, Samba will not service requests on subnets that are not listed in the interfaces directive nor will it service requests for other instances of Samba that may be running on the server.