CIFS (Common Internet File System)

The CISF (Common Internet File System) server enables file sharing between Linux and Windows systems. It provides information on the prerequisites and required permissions for the service account user. It allows users to access and manage files and directories stored on a CIFS server through various protocols and interfaces.

Connector Characteristics

Connector Features

Prerequisites

The following are the prerequisites required for establishing a connection: 

• Server Name or IP Address:
  The hostname or IP address of the server hosting the CIFS/SMB share. Example: \\fileserver.example.com or \\192.168.1.10 
• Share Name:
  The name of the shared folder or resource on the server.
  Example: \\fileserver.example.com\shared_folder 
• Username:
  The username that has access rights to the CIFS share. This is often in the format DOMAIN\username for domain-authenticated environments.
  Example: CORP\johndoe 

• Password:
  The password is the password associated with the username. Depending on the configuration, some systems may also use SSH keys or other credentials.

Service Account Permissions

To retrieve folders from an SMB (Server Message Block) server using an SMB Client, the minimum permissions required would depend on the level of access the SMB server grants to the client. The following minimum permissions are necessary:

• Read Permission (RX) on the Directory: 

• • The client must have read (R) and execute (X) permissions on the accessed folder or directory. 
  • Read permission allows the client to view the contents (list files and directories).
  • Execute permission is needed to traverse through the directory structure. 

• Traverse Folder/Execute File Permission (For NTFS File Systems): 

• • If the SMB share resides on a Windows machine using NTFS, the “Traverse Folder/Execute File” permission is needed to move through directory trees, even if read access is granted.

Data Source Configuration

1. Log into OvalEdge, go to Administration > Connectors, click + (New Connector), search for CIFS, and complete the specific parameters.
   Note: Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory for establishing a connection.
   

   Field Name	Description
   Connector Type	By default, "CIFS" is displayed as the selected connector type.
   Connector Settings
   Credential Manager*	Select the desired credentials manager from the dropdown list. Relevant parameters will be displayed based on the selection. Supported Credential Managers: OE Credential Manager AWS Secrets Manager HashiCorp Vault Azure Key Vault Refer to the Credential Manager article for detailed configuration instructions.
   License Add Ons	OvalEdge connectors have a default license add-on for data crawling and profiling. Select the checkbox for Auto Lineage Add-On to build data lineage automatically. Select the checkbox for Data Quality Add-On to identify data quality issues using data quality rules and anomaly detection. Refer to the License Add-Ons article for more details.
   Connector Environment	Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector. Refer to the "Connector Environment" document for more details.
   Connector Name*	Enter a unique name for the CIFS connection.  Example: "CIFS_Prod"
   CIFS UserName*	Enter the username that has access rights to the CIFS share. This is often in the format DOMAIN\username for domain-authenticated environments.  Example: CORP\johndoe
   CIFS Password*	Enter the password associated with the username. Some systems may also use SSH keys or other credentials, depending on the configuration.
   Share Name*	Enter the name of the shared folder or resource on the server. Example: \\fileserver.example.com\shared_folder
   CIFS URL*	Enter the CIFS URL which allows users or applications to read and write to shared files and resources. Example: \\192.168.1.10\shared_folders
   Folder Path	Add the CIFS Folder Path to direct the OvalEdge application to the correct network location.
   Default Governance Roles
   Default Governance Roles*	Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the dropdown list. All users and teams configured in OvalEdge Security are displayed for selection.  Refer to the "Governance Roles for Connectors" article for more details.
   Admin Roles
   Admin Roles*	Select one or more users from the dropdown list for Integration Admin and Security and Governance Admin. All users configured in OvalEdge Security are available for selection. Refer to the "Admin Roles for Connectors" article for more details.
   No Of Archive Objects*	It indicates the number of recent metadata changes to a dataset at the source. By default, it is off. You can enable it by toggling the Archive button and specifying the number of objects to archive. Example: Setting it to 4 retrieves the last 4 changes, shown in the 'version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.
   Select Bridge*	The dropdown displays the bridges set up in Manage Bridge. Select the appropriate bridge that enables seamless connectivity between data sources without altering firewall rules. Refer to the Bridge Overview article for more details.

2. After entering all connection details, you can perform the following actions:
   1. Click Validate to verify the connection.
   2. Click Save to store the connection for future use.
   3. Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.
3. The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.

Errors and Resolution

If incorrect parameters are provided, you may encounter error messages. To resolve these issues, ensure all input is correct. If problems persist, contact the assigned support team.

Connector Settings

The CIFS connector offers various settings to customize the connector. These include:

• Crawler: Configure how data is discovered and extracted.
• Access Instructions: Specify how data can be accessed.
• Business Glossary Settings: Manage term associations at the connector level.

Refer to the Connector Settings article for more details.

Crawl/Profile

Crawl and Profile operations enable you to select one or more schemas from a list of all available schemas within a specific database. This allows you to tailor the crawling and profiling operations selection according to your requirements. Furthermore, it provides the option to schedule crawling and profiling and enables anomaly detection to identify any irregularities in the data objects.

Refer to the Crawl and Profile article for more details.

Manage Connector 

The Connectors page in OvalEdge provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, including their health status. Users can view, edit, validate, and delete connectors using the Nine Dots menu.

Managing connectors includes:

• Connectors Health: Displays performance with a green (active) or red (inactive) icon, helping monitor data flow and address issues early.
• Viewing: Shows connector details via the View icon.

Nine Dots Menu Options:

• Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.
• Validate Connector: Check the connection's integrity.
• Settings: Modify connector settings.
• Delete Connector: Remove connectors or schemas with confirmation.

Refer to the Manage Connectors article for more details.

FAQs

• How do you configure the CIFS Connector?
  Answer: Configuring the CIFS Connector involves specifying parameters such as the CIFS UserName, CIFS Password, Share Name, CIFS URL, and Folder Path.
• What security considerations should be taken into account when using CIFS Connectors?
  Answer: Security considerations include implementing secure authentication mechanisms (e.g., Kerberos), configuring firewall rules to restrict access to CIFS servers, encrypting data in transit (using CIFS over SSH or CIFSv4 with Kerberos), and regularly updating CIFS client software to mitigate vulnerabilities.