Specifying a VM user ID for Host Username

Some NFS clients provide different ways to identify user ID. The following example may not apply to your situation; the exact method depends on which NFS client has been installed.
  • Go to NFS Servers I Have Configured, as you did when you configured the NFS server.
  • Select the host name, and right click to get a menu.
  • Select Properties.
  • Select the Security tab.

    • When PCNFSD is available on your NFS server.
      Leave the Authentication Server field blank.
      In the Username field, enter your VM user ID.

      We recommend that you leave the Password field blank so that you are prompted for the logon password for your user ID.

      If you DO enter your password, make sure you remember to change it here the next time you change it on the host system.

    • When PCNFSD is not available on your NFS server.
      In the Username field, typically enter NOBODY.

      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.

      Specifying NOBODY or its equivalent means that your NFS client doesn't try to use PCNFS to authenticate your username and password. The downside of this is that it is difficult to create new BFS files using some NFS clients. Specifying NOBODY means that the client assumes a UID of -2. The client attempts to create the file with an owning UID of NOBODY but does not have the authority to do so, and as a result the entire file creation fails.

  • Select Ok.
* Windows NT is a trademark of the Microsoft Corporation.

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