2.5.5.3 Retrieve Alias Names

Goal

To retrieve all aliases that are attached to an existing SMB server.

Context of Use

The administrator is setting up a file server and has to enumerate all aliases that are attached to a file server.

Actors

  • Admin tool

    The admin tool is the primary actor that triggers this use case. The admin tool is a program that offers management functionality to the administrator through the admin client. Typical admin tools are command-line tools and graphical shells, management utilities, and graphical management programs. The purpose of the admin tool is to correctly interpret, execute, and display the results of the commands that are issued by the administrator.

  • Admin client

    The admin client is a supporting actor that implements client-side protocol components and consumes the file server administration services that are offered by the file server. The admin client is internal to the File Services Management system.

  • SMB File Service

    The SMB File Service is a supporting actor that implements server-side protocol components and the file services that are consumed by the admin client.

  • Authentication Services

    Authentication Services is the supporting actor that is used for authentication purposes.

Stakeholders

  • Administrator

    The administrator is the person who administers the file server. The administrator has administrative rights and uses the File Services Management system to provide the SMB File Service.

Preconditions

The administrator has identified a file server for which aliases are to be enumerated. An SMB File Service is present on the file server, as described in [MS-SRVS].

Main Success Scenario

  1. Trigger: The admin tool receives a request from the administrator to enumerate the aliases that are associated with a file server. The admin tool establishes a communication channel to the SMB File Service, as described in [MS-SRVS] section 2.1.

  2. The SMB File Service authenticates the administrator through the mechanisms as described in [MS-AUTHSOD].

  3. The admin tool contacts the SMB File Service by using the NetrServerAliasEnum method ([MS-SRVS] section 3.1.4.45) to enumerate the alias that is attached to the file server.

  4. The SMB File Service authorizes the administrator through the mechanisms  as described in [MS-SRVS] section 3.1.4.45.

  5. The SMB File Service enumerates all the aliases that are attached to the existing server name and returns the list of aliases to the admin tool.

Postcondition

The admin tool displays all the aliases that are associated with the SMB server.

Extensions

If the communication channel for the Server Service Remote Protocol, as described in [MS-SRVS], cannot be established, or it becomes disconnected:

  • The admin tool can attempt to establish the connection multiple times; ultimately, the use case ends with failure. Depending on when the connection failed, the aliases could or could not have been displayed.

If user authentication or authorization fails:

  • The use case ends with failure.