The CIFS Standard an Oxymoron

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The CIFS Standard - an Oxymoron?
Dennis Chapman Member Technical Staff Network
Appliance dec_at_netapp.com
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CIFSa shorthistory
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SMB/CIFS protocol evolution

• Original dialect - MSNET SMB supported in MSDOS 3
• 11 dialects are currently defined
• Support semantics for DOS, WfW, OS/2 and NT
• Most are now obsolete
• Clients servers negotiate dialect upon
  connection
• Most clients and servers now use NT LM 0.12

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SMB/CIFS specification evolution

• Early versions were available from Microsoft
• Protocols for X/Open PC InternetworkingSMB,
  Version 2 (1992)
• IETF drafts (all expired)
• draft-leach-cifs-v1-spec-00.txt (1997)
• draft-leach-cifs-v1-spec-01.txt (1998)
• Drafts for ancillary protocols (logon, print,
  remote access) (1997)

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Problems with the CIFS specs

• Key components of the protocol are not defined in
  the spec
• This requires either licensing technology or
  reverse engineering the protocol.
• The specs lag behind client and server
  implementation
• Single vendor determines the protocol for the
  rest of the industry

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Creating a better CIFS spec
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SNIA CIFSSPEC working group

• First meeting in Feb 99
• Active workgroup members
• Microsoft, IBM, Network Appliance, Veritas, HP,
  Crosstor and the Samba Group

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Work in progress

• Specify current CIFS behavior
• Base work on draft-leach 1 MSDN versions
• Incorporate CIFS mail alias questions/comments
• Gather corrections/improvements from wg members

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Followed by

• Specify undocumented CIFS behaviour
• Management RPCs
• Collect a suite of CIFS tests
• Jointly discuss future CIFS enhancements

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Current status

• Draft 1 was reviewed at CIFSSPEC WG meeting in
  Sept.
• Next draft will be reviewed in Nov.
• Next CIFS conference in Fall 01.