1. Create an alias.
   Some NFS clients call aliases 'share names', and provide an editor to create and modify them.
   • Go to NFS Servers I Have Configured, as you did when you configured the NFS server.
   • Select the host, and click on the right mouse button to obtain a list.
   • Select Create Alias.
   • Fill in the alias name that you want to use.
   • Fill in the Path, specifying the mount operands, as shown in the examples below.
   • Select OK to create the alias.
   
   Once created, aliases are not easy to change on some NFS clients. Make a note of the alias name and parameters you have specified. Sometimes changes are necessary, such as when your alias contains a password, and you change your password.

2. Issue the "mount".
   • Go to Windows Explorer.
   • On the menu bar, select Tools.
   • Select Map Network Drive.
   • Select or fill in hostname\alias. (Note the backslash following hostname.)
   • Select Ok.

Path Examples

• When PCNFSD is available and you have specified a VM user ID for the host username under the security tab.
  • To work with text files that can be used from both CMS and Windows:
    /../VMBFS:FPCOOL:ROOT/u/jake,trans=yes,xlat=POSIX

  • To use a BFS directory as a repository for binary files:
    /../VMBFS:FPCOOL:ROOT/u/jake,trans=no

• When PCNFSD is not available and you must define a username of NOBODY for your host.

  Note that different NFS clients may have other ways of saying that PCNFSD should be bypassed. Consult your NFS client documentation for the correct values or procedures.

  • To work with text files that can be used from both CMS and Windows:
    /../VMBFS:FPCOOL:ROOT/u/jake,userid=elwood,password=my,trans=yes,xlat=POSIX

  • To use a BFS directory as a repository for binary files:
    /../VMBFS:FPCOOL:ROOT/u/jake,userid=elwood,password=mypass,trans=no

Hints and Tips

• Unexplained mount problems? Try configuring your client first to force version 3, then try version 2.

• See MOUNT for a complete syntax description. Still having trouble? Try Diagnosing Mount Problems.

• Your NFS administrator can define export entries to make it easier to mount a VM file system. Your NFS client may have a window describing the hosts defined to it. Double-click on a host name to determine which file systems are exported for that server.

  Export is supported for VM NFS servers at TCP/IP level 320 for VM/ESA Version 2, Release 4.0 or higher. Do you need help determining the release level running on your server?

• You can use any LOGON BY privileges defined for your VM user ID. See the userid= and by= parameters on the MOUNT command for more information.

• Specifying NOBODY for username when defining a host means that some functions (such as file creation) won't work as expected.

• If you want EBCDIC-ASCII translation to be done based on the value of the file extension, use the trans=ext parameter instead of trans=yes or trans=no when creating an alias.

• Be careful about submitting too many MOUNT requests with an invalid password. The VM system may disable a user ID if too many attempts are made to verify a userid/password combination.

• See BFS link processing for more information about hard and symbolic links.

• Use the SMSG command to obtain more information if you receive an error but don't understand what went wrong when using a BFS directory.

• NFS server support for BFS is available only on NFS servers running at least TCP/IP level 310 for VM/ESA Version 2 Release 3.

Return to the main z/VM TCP/IP NFS Server Support page.