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How to access file shares from IBM i by using QNTC

Question & Answer


Question

How to access file shares from IBM i by using the QNTC file system.

Answer

The IBM i OS QNTC file system allows the IBM i to act as a CIFS or SMB client to access Windows, Samba, and IBM i file servers.

The QNTC file system resides in the 'root' file system. Display the external network servers that are hosting network file shares by running the command WRKLNK '/QNTC/*'. This list is populated in two ways. The first is dynamic:  QNTC uses a NetBIOS browse of the network domain name specified in the IBM i OS NetServer properties. The second is by manually running the command, MKDIR '/QNTC/server' where server is replaced by the external server hostname or IP address. Relying on the browse feature to populate the list of available servers does not work well in modern networks because the browse features are turned off by default. All directories under the QNTC file system survive only until the next IPL and must be re-created following the IPL. Directories that were dynamically created by the browse of the network domain populate again, but directories created by using the make directory command must be created by running the MKDIR command again. Consider adding those MKDIR commands to the startup program so that they are effectively created automatically.  Because the browse function takes a few seconds to complete, even when there are no results, many systems use the environment variable QIBM_ZLC_NO_BROWSE to disable the QNTC browse feature.  For more information about QNTC environment variables, see IBM Documentation QNTC Environment Variables.


To connect to external file servers, the IBM i QNTC client must send valid credentials. By default, the IBM i sends the current logged-on users' USRPRF and PWD.
However, an interactive user can connect with a different ID by using a submitted job.
For example, SBMJOB CMD(DSPLNK OBJ('/qntc/MyRemoteFileServer/*')) USER(AlternateIBMiUSRPRF)

The AlternateIBMiUSRPRFmust exist on both the client IBM i and MyRemoteFileServer and the passwords must match between those systems.
Unless the remote file server is another IBM i system, it does not use user profiles.  Windows, for example uses IDs, which consist of two parts:  a domain and an ID.  The password level on IBM i determines whether the encrypted password is sent to the remote client in all lowercase letters or if it is a case-sensitive passphrase.  For more information about setting up compatible IDs and passwords with QNTC, see IBM technote ID and Password Considerations for QNTC file system.

Additional information on the IBM i OS QNTC or NetClient file system is available within the IBM Documentation at the following Related Information link.

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Document Information

Modified date:
25 January 2023

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nas8N1021028