"Cannot create output file" when compressing large files on a Filer's CIFS share using Windows 2003 compression tool

Products

• Scan Engine

Issue/Introduction

You're using Scan Engine 5.x connected via RPC to a NetApp filer.
When you compress a large file on the Filer's CIFS share using Microsoft Windows 2003 compression tool, you notice that after some time the error "Cannot create output file" is shown.

 

Cause

The compress utility on Microsoft Windows 2003 generates temporary files; the Filer sends these temporary files for scanning to Symantec Scan Engine, which scans them and returns appropriate results.
As this compress process progresses, the size of temporary file also increases, thus naturally taking more time for scanning in Symantec Scan Engine.
When the temporary file grows about 300 to 600 MB, and the Filer sends it to Symantec Scan Engine, the compress utility generates “cannot create output file” even before Symantec Scan Engine has finished scanning the temporary file.

Resolution

It appears that this issue is happening because the Windows compression tool is expecting to get exclusive open rights to the temp file, but the NetApp Filer is not allowing this because the temp file is still currently being scanned. 

Since it is unable to get this open handle on the file, the Windows compression tool fails. 

As far as why this does not happen with other compression tools like WinRAR, we believe that WinRAR waits until it is able to get access to the temp file.  Rather than throwing an error.