Ansible - mount Amazon EFS filesystem on Windows Server 2019 using NFS: Network Error 53

Question

I'm trying to mount an AWS EFS filesystem on Windows Server 2019, using NFS, and configuring it with Ansible.

I was already able to mount the same AWS EFS filesystem on a Linux instance in the same Region, VPC and Availibility Zone, which makes me think that the AWS EFS part is OK.

This is what I have to configure NFS on the Windows instance:

---
- name: Ensure NFS is installed.
  win_feature:
    name: "{{ nfs_package }}"
    state: present

- name: Add registry key AnonymousGID
  win_regedit:
    path: HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ClientForNFS\CurrentVersion\Default
    name: AnonymousGID
    value: 0
    type: dword

- name: Add registry key AnonymousUID
  win_regedit:
    path: HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ClientForNFS\CurrentVersion\Default
    name: AnonymousUID
    value: 0
    type: dword

- name: Copy BAT file
  win_copy:
    src: nfs_mount_script.bat
    dest: C:\nfs_mount_script.bat

- name: Create scheduled task which will mount the network drive
  win_scheduled_task:
    name: nfs_mount
    description: Map NFS share so that it is visible for Ansible tasks
    actions:
      - path: C:\nfs_mount_script.bat
    triggers:
      - type: boot
    username: SYSTEM
    run_level: highest

- name: Mount an NFS volume
  win_command: C:\nfs_mount_script.bat

This is nfs_mount_script.bat:

mount -o anon fs-0123456789abcdef.efs.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com:/ J:

This is the error in my console output:

amazon-ebs: TASK [foo.jenkins-node.windows : Ensure NFS is installed.] *******************[0m
amazon-ebs: Friday 28 May 2021  21:18:10 +0200 (0:00:00.023)       0:00:56.326 ************[0m
amazon-ebs: changed: [default][0m
amazon-ebs:[0m
amazon-ebs: TASK [foo.jenkins-node.windows : Add registry key AnonymousGID] **************[0m
amazon-ebs: Friday 28 May 2021  21:19:23 +0200 (0:01:12.874)       0:02:09.201 ************[0m
amazon-ebs: changed: [default][0m
amazon-ebs:[0m
amazon-ebs: TASK [foo.jenkins-node.windows : Add registry key AnonymousUID] **************[0m
amazon-ebs: Friday 28 May 2021  21:19:25 +0200 (0:00:01.963)       0:02:11.164 ************[0m
amazon-ebs: ok: [default][0m
amazon-ebs:[0m
amazon-ebs: TASK [foo.jenkins-node.windows : Copy BAT file] ******************************[0m
amazon-ebs: Friday 28 May 2021  21:19:27 +0200 (0:00:01.913)       0:02:13.077 ************[0m
amazon-ebs: changed: [default][0m
amazon-ebs:[0m
amazon-ebs: TASK [foo.jenkins-node.windows : Create scheduled task which will mount the network drive] ***[0m
amazon-ebs: Friday 28 May 2021  21:19:31 +0200 (0:00:03.667)       0:02:16.745 ************[0m
amazon-ebs: changed: [default][0m
amazon-ebs:[0m
amazon-ebs: TASK [foo.jenkins-node.windows : Mount an NFS volume] ************************[0m
amazon-ebs: Friday 28 May 2021  21:19:33 +0200 (0:00:02.482)       0:02:19.227 ************[0m
amazon-ebs: fatal: [default]: FAILED! => changed=true[0m
amazon-ebs:   cmd: C:\nfs_mount_script.bat[0m
amazon-ebs:   delta: '0:00:47.121981'[0m
amazon-ebs:   end: '2021-05-28 07:20:22.253220'[0m
amazon-ebs:   msg: non-zero return code[0m
amazon-ebs:   rc: 1[0m
amazon-ebs:   start: '2021-05-28 07:19:35.131239'[0m
amazon-ebs:   stderr: ''[0m
amazon-ebs:   stderr_lines: <omitted>[0m
amazon-ebs:   stdout: |2-[0m
amazon-ebs:[0m
amazon-ebs:     C:\Users\Administrator>mount -o anon fs-0123456789abcdef.efs.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com:/ J:[0m
amazon-ebs:     Network Error - 53[0m
amazon-ebs:[0m
amazon-ebs:     Type 'NET HELPMSG 53' for more information.[0m
amazon-ebs:   stdout_lines: <omitted>[0m

Already tried:

• Googling NET HELPMSG 53 - not very helpful or I wouldn't ask here.
• Replace mount -o anon fs-0123456789abcdef.efs.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com:/ J: with mount -o anon \\fs-03614eb713a56f8c2.efs.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com\ J: - neither of the two work.

For reference, this is the corresponding Ansible code on a Linux (Ubuntu) instance, where it does work:

---
- name: Ensure NFS is installed.
  package:
    name: "{{ nfs_package }}"
    state: present

- name: Create a mountable directory if it does not exist
  file:
    path: "{{ efs_mount_dir }}"
    state: directory
    owner: "{{ jenkins_user }}"
    group: "{{ jenkins_user }}"
    mode: '0775'

- name: Mount an NFS volume
  mount:
    name: "{{ efs_mount_dir }}"
    src: "{{ efs_file_system_id }}.efs.{{ aws_region }}.amazonaws.com:/"
    fstype: nfs4
    opts: nfsvers=4.1
    state: mounted

What are the magic Ansible incantations that I need to copy/paste into my YAML file so that the Windows Server will mount the EFS filesystem?

Answer 1

The Microsoft supplied NFS client in Windows Server 2022 (and below) only support NFSv3. EFS requires NFSv4 or NFS4.1 so the MS client is not going to work. (note that Windows NFS server uses NFSv4)

If you want a commercially supported client, OpenText sells a client that works (it does require a little registry work). https://www.opentext.com/products-and-solutions/products/specialty-technologies/connectivity/nfs-client-nfs-solo

Other options, free but dated and take more effort/maintenance on your side: http://citi.umich.edu/projects/nfsv4/windows/ https://github.com/contentfree/ms-nfs41-client

Answer 2

Amazon EFS is not supported on Windows instances.

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/WindowsGuide/AmazonEFS.html