Integrated File System Introduction

 

Work with files using iSeries NetServer

iSeries Support for Windows Network Neighborhood (iSeries NetServer) is an IBM Operating System/400 Version 5 (OS/400) function that enables Windows clients to access OS/400 shared directory paths and shared output queues. iSeries NetServer allows PCs that run Windows software to seamlessly access data and printers that are managed by your iSeries. PC clients on a network simply use the file and print sharing functions that are included in their operating systems. This means that you do not need to install any additional software on your PC to use iSeries NetServer.

LINUX clients with the Samba client software installed may also seamlessly access data and printers through iSeries NetServer. Samba file systems (smbfs) may be mounted from iSeries NetServer in a similar manner to mounting NFS file systems from the iSeries. For more information, see the iSeries NetServer topic in the iSeries Information Center.

An iSeries NetServer file share is a directory path that iSeries NetServer shares with clients on the iSeries network. A file share can consist of any integrated file system directory on iSeries. Before you can work with file sharing using iSeries NetServer, create a iSeries NetServer file share, and, if necessary, change a iSeries NetServer file share using iSeries Navigator.

To access integrated file system file shares using iSeries NetServer:

  1. Right-click Start, and select Explore to open Windows Explorer on your Windows PC.
  2. Open the Tools menu, and select Map network drive.
  3. Select a letter of a free drive for the file share (such as the I:\ drive).
  4. Enter the name of an iSeries NetServer file share. For example, you could enter the following syntax: \\QSYSTEM1\Sharename
    QSYSTEM1 is the system name of iSeries NetServer, and Sharename is the name of the file share you want to use.
  5. Click OK.
When connecting using iSeries NetServer, the server name may be different than the name used by iSeries Access. For example the iSeries NetServer name may be QAS400X, and the path to work with files may be \\QAS400X\QDLS\MYFOLDER.FLR\MYFILE.DOC. However, the iSeries Access name may be AS400X, and the path to work with files may be \\AS400X\QDLS\MYFOLDER.FLR\MYFILE.DOC.

You choose which directories to share with the network using iSeries NetServer. Those directories appear as the first level under the server name. For example, if you share the /home/fred directory with the name fredsdir, a user would be able to access that directory from the PC with the name \\QAS400X\FREDSDIR, or from a LINUX client with the name //qas400x/fredsdir.

The "root" (/) file system provides much better performance for PC file serving than other iSeries file systems. You may want to move files to the "root" (/) file system. See considerations for moving objects to another file system for more information.

For more information about iSeries NetServer and file shares, see the following topics in the Networking category of the iSeries Information Center:

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