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Q233288: Personal Computer Network File System Daemon (PCNFSD)

Article: Q233288
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:4.0 SP3,4.0 SP4
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 10-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 4.0 SP3, 4.0 SP4, used with:
   - Microsoft Windows NT Services for UNIX Add-On Pack 
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SUMMARY
=======

The personal computer network file system daemon (PCNFSD) service is accepted by
the X/Open committee as a semi-standard for (PC)NFS. (PC)NFS refers to all NFS
systems running on a personal computer. Windows NT Services for UNIX provides
(PC)NFS capabilities for Windows NT as well as the PCNFSD service.

The PCNFSD service authenticates and provides printing services to clients and it
services remote procedure call (RPC) requests directed at program number 150001.

MORE INFORMATION
================

NFS is not aware of user names or passwords; it uses numbers to identify users.
You can use the PCNFSD service to map user names and passwords to the numeric
IDs required by NFS.

When you log on to your (PC)NFS client, the client sends your user name and
password in clear text to the configured PCNFSD server. The PCNFSD service
verifies the credentials and returns the user's numeric IDs and some additional
information. When the (PC)NFS client uses its NFS client software to mount an
export, the NFS client provides these numeric IDs to the NFS server for
authentication.

By default, some PCNFSD servers do not accept system accounts credentials (for
example, user IDs less than 100). Check the PCNFSD Manage or Configuration files
for additional information.

Although (PC)NFS printing is not supported in Services for UNIX, it is briefly
discussed here. The (PC)NFS client sends a print request command to the PCNFSD
server. The server responds back with a spool directory to deposit files to be
printed. The (PC)NFS client mounts this export and deposits files that it wants
printed on the server. The (PC)NFS client then sends a print start command to
the PCNFSD server to print the files.

How to Verify that the PCNFSD Service Is Working
------------------------------------------------

To verify that the PCNFSD service is working, type the following command

"rpcinfo -p pcnfsd_server" (without the quotation marks)

where pcnfsd_server is the IP address or host name of your PCNFSD server. This
command works on Services for UNIX and all recent UNIX operating systems.

You should receive output similar to the following example:

  

  program vers proto port service

  150001  1    udp   1040  pcnfsd
  150001  2    udp   1040  pcnfsd

The output indicates that there is an RPC program (program number 150001)
listening to User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port 1040 that accepts either PCNFSD
protocol version. The port is variable, the protocols may include TCP, and the
version numbers accepted may differ, depending on the operating system of
server.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTSsearch
Version           : winnt:4.0 SP3,4.0 SP4
Issue type        : kbinfo

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