Samba + Delayed Write + Sporadic Copying
 

Hello,

I've setup a basic Linux Workgroup via SAMBA. Everything is working fine except for the following:

I've posted to two Samba lists, the Webmin list, an XP list and no one has given me a good explanation as to why the following is happening. I just replaced a Windows 2003 Storage Server with CentOS 5.1. When my users start copying TIF images from the now CentOS 5.1 server, XP copies the images sporadically. For example: folder1, folder2, folder3, folder4; each folder has 5 sub-folders in it numbered sequentially (00000, 00001, 00002, etc.); each sub-folder has 100 images in it. When- from an XP box, a user highlights folder1 and pastes it to their local drive the copying of the sub-folders and the images is sporadic. For example: first subfolder 00003 is copied and in 00003 image 98 is copied and then image 25 and then image 60 and etc.; once 00003 and all of its contents are finished with, the copy process will jump to 00005 and continue to be sporadic. I've been told by the CentOS forum that since XP is doing the writing, XP is causing the problem. I am running the latest Samba available for CentOS 5.1. Also, I have five bonded NICs in the CentOS server. Does anyone have any idea what might be going on? I personally don't think it is an XP problem. I also tested Win 2000 and the same issue. I've been told by someone on the Samba list sporadic copying is a result of Samba not sorting the directory list; I don't think this is the problem either; when I copy from an Ubuntu box, the copying is sequential. Finally, Windows XP keeps reporting delayed write errors and a loss of data; we have not lost any data so the error reports are false. What could be causing the false delayed write errors. The XP machines are reading/writing to the CentOS box.

My SAMBA Conifg (Configured Via Webmin):

[global]
netbios name = STGSVR1
netbios aliases = STGSVR1
writeable = yes
socket options = TCP_NODELAY
write list = @beiusers,@root
workgroup = BEI-LINUX
os level = 20
valid users = @beiusers,@root
user = @beiusers,@root
create mode = 775
preferred master = no
directory mode = 775

[Stg1_Images]
force create mode = 775
force user = root
path = /data/Stg1_Images
force directory mode = 775
force group = beiusers

[Stg1_All]
force create mode = 775
force user = root
path = /data
force directory mode = 775
force group = beiusers