[OpenAFS] The removal of afscreds.exe and afs_config.exe on Windows Vista and Windows 7: Seeking Opinions

[Brian Sebby]

I just wanted to echo this - we've been having our helpdesk tell users to
"see if there's a red X on the padlock icon" for years as a first step in
debugging.  Most of our AFS users don't really understand what AFS even is,
so making it as simple as possible is better.  Trying to get them to look at
a cube and see if they have credentials is going to go over the heads of a
lot of our users.  I don't really mind if afscreds as a program is removed,
but it'd be nice to just have a little padlock icon down in the tray that
shows a red X when the user doesn't have tokens.


Brian

On Thu, Oct 08, 2009 at 08:26:22AM +0200, Anders Magnusson wrote:
> No opinions about the stuff below, but from a support perspective it is 
> really nice
> with the padlock down right.  When people have trouble with file 
> accesses the two
> questions:
> 
> - Do you have a padlock down right?
> - Is there a red cross over the padlock?
> 
> are quite valuable.
> 
> -- Ragge
> 
> Jeffrey Altman wrote:
> >Ever since the release of Windows Vista I have been worried about the
> >continued shipment of afscred.exe (AFS Authentication Tool) and
> >afs_config.exe (AFS Client Manager Configuration Tool) in the OpenAFS
> >installers.
> >
> >The Problem:
> >
> >Beginning with Windows Vista, Microsoft implemented a security barrier
> >referred to as User Account Control which tightens the noose on normal
> >user accounts and prevents them from being used to perform a variety of
> >operations such as starting and stopping services or writing to the
> >local machine registry hive which they were able to do in previous
> >Windows releases.   In addition, user accounts that are members of the
> >"Administrators" group always log on to the machine as normal users.  In
> >order for a process to be started with the extra special Administrators
> >bits and explicit click through approval is required by the user.  A
> >process that is started as an Administrative process shares the desktop
> >but is effectively in a separate logon session.
> >
> >afscreds.exe and afs_config.exe perform some functionality that must be
> >executed in the standard logon session and other functions that must be
> >performed as an administrative process.  A process cannot be both.  As a
> >result, depending on the user account type used and the mode the process
> >is started with different function sets will misbehave.  If the process
> >is started with Administrative bits, the process is unable to:
> >
> > * access the MIT Kerberos v5 credential caches to obtain tokens
> >
> > * create drive mappings
> >
> >If the process is started without the Administrative bits, the process:
> >
> > * silently discards configuration changes that are saved in the registry
> >
> > * is unable to start or stop the afsd service
> >
> >Based upon feedback received at the European AFS Workshop the shipment
> >and installation of these tools are creating a significant support burden. 
> >
> >
> >The Proposal:
> >
> >I propose that beginning with 1.5.66 (whenever that is) that the
> >afscreds.exe and afs_config.exe tools not be installed at all on any
> >Windows version Vista or beyond and that on 2000, XP and 2003 that these
> >tools not be installed as part of the default configuration.
> >
> >
> >The Impact:
> >
> >The afscreds tool provides three sets of functionality:
> >
> > * token acquisition (and renewal if MIT KFW is present)
> >
> > * drive mapping
> >
> > * start/stop the afsd service
> >
> >Network Identity Manager has long been available as a replacement for
> >the token acquisition functionality and it is available on any system on
> >which MIT KFW is present.  The only systems that wouldn't have it are
> >clients of cells that are still using kaserver.  
> >
> >The drive mapping functionality has been documented as deprecated since
> >the addition of the loopback installation permitted the use of a
> >standard \\AFS UNC server name.  The recommended method for a user to
> >create a drive mapping is the Windows Drive Mapping user interface
> >provided as part of "[My] Computer" and the Explorer Shell.
> >
> >Starting and stopping the afsd service is an administration function
> >that can be performed using the Windows Service MMC.
> >
> >The afs_config.exe tool provides:
> >
> > * configuration management including cell name, server preferences,
> >cellservdb editing,
> >   cache size, and advanced tuning parameters
> >
> > * start/stop functionality
> >
> > * drive mapping
> >
> >While it is not ready for general purpose use, Brant Gurganus has made
> >significant progress on his OpenAFS Cache Manager MMC snap-in.  This
> >tool has the potential to perform the first two functions in a more
> >complete manner than the afs_config tool ever did.  As for the drive
> >mapping, the Explorer Shell interface can be used.  As soon as this tool
> >is deemed ready for incorporation in the distribution it will be added.
> >
> >
> >Please Provide Feedback:
> >
> >If you are a Windows user or a system administrator that has a large
> >number of Windows users, please comment on whether or not you agree with
> >the proposed action.
> >
> >Thank you.
> >
> >Jeffrey Altman
> >
> >  
> 
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-- 
Brian Sebby  (sebby@anl.gov)  |  Unix and Operation Services
Phone: +1 630.252.9935        |  Computing and Information Systems
Fax:   +1 630.252.4601        |  Argonne National Laboratory