From April 21–23, 2026, immediately following sambaXP, the SNIA SMB3 Interoperability (IO) Lab EMEA will take place at the Hotel Freizeit In in Göttingen, Germany.
The IO Lab is hosted by SNIA and organized by Microsoft. It provides a structured environment where vendors can bring their SMB3 implementations to test interoperability, identify issues, and resolve them collaboratively.
The objective is practical and clear: improve cross-vendor interoperability and strengthen the SMB ecosystem through direct technical collaboration.
A Hands-On Interoperability Lab
The IO Lab is designed for hands-on testing. Participants connect their implementations to a shared infrastructure provided by SNIA and work through defined test scenarios. The testing process is jointly agreed upon by participants to ensure clear objectives and measurable results.
The environment enables focused interoperability testing using:
- The latest Windows client and server software
- Microsoft Windows protocol test suites for SMB3 validation
- Direct access to Microsoft’s Windows Protocol Support team
- Engagement with members of the Windows development team
This setup allows vendors to test against reference implementations and resolve issues in real time.
Schedule
Set-up: April 21, 2026 Testing: April 22–23, 2026 Tear-down: April 23, 2026
Each participant receives a dedicated test bench including power and network connectivity.
Please note: Participation is subject to a non-disclosure agreement. Lab access is restricted to registered attendees.
Participation
The participation fee is €350 per person and includes dinner on April 21 and breakfast and lunch on April 22–23. Registration and further logistics information are available via SNIA.
