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SerNet announces the launch of SAMBA+ 4.20.0. This is the latest stable release series of Samba for Enterprise Linux. Available immediately for a variety of platforms including SUSE, Red Hat, Debian GNU/Linux, Ubuntu, and for AIX. This release introduces multiple enhancements for up-to-date enterprise environments.

Standing out is the new Service Witness Protocol [MS-SWN], developed by Stefan Metzmacher from SerNet. This enhances the stability and monitoring capabilities within clustered environments. This protocol is essential for enterprises using high-availability solutions, allowing clients to monitor their SMB connections more effectively across cluster nodes. This development ensures that SAMBA+ remains at the forefront of networked system resilience, providing scalable solutions for large-scale deployments.

Additionally, the release of SAMBA+ 4.20 transitions previous series into different support phases: Samba 4.19 enters maintenance mode, Samba 4.18 shifts to security fixes only, and updates for Samba 4.17 will be discontinued. Users are encouraged to upgrade to the latest version to take advantage of the new features and improved security protocols.

For existing SAMBA+ subscribers, the new release is included in your current subscription. New customers can obtain SAMBA+ through a software subscription available at our online shops (USD Pricing: US SAMBA+ Shop, EUR Pricing: World SAMBA+ Shop). All details about subscription options and pricing are listed there.

As enterprises increasingly rely on robust, secure, and scalable solutions, SAMBA+ 4.20.0 represents a step forward. We invite all users to read the detailed release notes to ensure a smooth transition and to leverage the full capabilities of this release.

Please make sure to test thoroughly before upgrading. For further assistance, upgrade paths, and deployment strategies, please consult our SAMBA+ HowTo collection or contact our support team directly through our website.

Useful Links:

• Full Release Notes: Samba 4.20.0 Release Notes
• Upgrade Guidance and HowTo: SAMBA+ HowTo Collection
• Contact and Support: Get in touch!

The Samba team at SerNet released new SAMBA+ 4.19.6 packages. They are available for various SUSE and Red Hat platforms as well as for Debian GNU/Linux, Ubuntu and AIX.

These packages address several issues, which are listed in the release notes:

https://www.samba.org/samba/history/samba-4.19.6.html

SAMBA+ packages are offered as software subscriptions. Subscriptions are available for purchase in our SAMBA+ shop, with detailed information and pricing listed in both USD and EUR:

• USD Pricing: US SAMBA+ Shop
• EUR Pricing: World SAMBA+ Shop

Existing subscribers will receive the SAMBA+ 4.19.6 packages as part of their current subscription.

Get in Touch! For further information, to request a quote, or if you have any questions regarding SAMBA+ 4.19.6, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our team is dedicated to supporting you and ensuring you make the most out of SAMBA+.

The recording of the talk "SMB for Linux with SMB3 POSIX extensions" by Volker Lendecke, longtime member of the Samba core team and co-founder of SerNet, is now available on our YouTube channel. Lendecke gave the talk at FOSDEM 2024 in Brussels, one of the most important conferences in the open source community.

In his presentation, Lendecke discussed the advances in the SMB3 protocol and its impact on network file sharing on Linux. The session offered insights into the SMB3 POSIX extensions that make SMB a real alternative to NFS with all the semantics Linux clients expect. Volker Lendecke not only gave an insight into the current functionalities, but also an outlook on future developments. The discussion also included how these extensions can improve the efficiency and compatibility of file sharing between different operating systems.

The recording of the talk is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the latest developments in the world of network file sharing or who would like to deepen their knowledge of SMB3 and its application to Linux systems.

Watch the full recording here: https://youtu.be/aOVtyU3jz_c to dive into the topic with Volker Lendecke.

The agenda for this year's sambaXP on April 17 and 18, 2024 is online. As already announced, the conference will take place digitally via Zoom. Participants can expect a variety of exciting presentations on the latest developments in the world of Samba. The online event is supported by long-standing sponsors Google and Microsoft. Microsoft is also taking part with an interoperability track.

A small insight into the program:

• ksmbd status update - Namjae Jeon (LGE / Samba Team)
• Improving the network stack: progress on QUIC and SMB3.1.1 for Linux - Steven French (Microsoft / Samba Team)
• POSIX identities out of OAuth2 identity providers: how to redesign SSSD and Samba? - Alexander Bokovoy & Andreas Schneider (Red Hat / Samba Team)
• SMB and NFS compared - Volker Lendecke (SerNet / Samba Team)
• File Sharing Test Suites Updates and Overview of SMB2 Dissectors on Wireshark - Obaro Ogbo & Adedeji Adeloye (Microsoft)
• Bridging Worlds: Linux and Azure AD - David Mulder (SUSE)
• Exchange Protocol 2024 update - Andrew Davidoff (Microsoft)

The detailed conference program can be found on the event page.

Participation in the conference is free of charge. Only a registration is required.

Webinars on April 16, 2024
On the day before the conference, three webinars will be offered on the topics of CTDB clusters, SAMBA on AIX and Samba as an Active Directory domain. Participation is also free of charge. Registration and more details can be found on https://sambaxp.org.

SerNet just released SAMBA+ 4.19.5. Packages for various SUSE and Red Hat platforms as well as for Debian GNU/Linux, Ubuntu and AIX are available now.

These packages address several issues, which are listed in the release notes: https://www.samba.org/samba/history/samba-4.19.5.html

SAMBA+ packages are available as software subscriptions and can be purchased in the SAMBA+ shop. Detailed information and prices can be found at https://usdshop.samba.plus (currency: USD) or https://shop.samba.plus (currency: EUR). The new SAMBA+ packages are included in the existing subscriptions. If you have any further questions or would like to request a quote, please feel free to contact us.