Usage

Before starting with Steeltoe's Windows Network File Share library, you should already have a plan for interacting with the file system. Steeltoe only manages the connection to the file share.

Add NuGet References

Use the NuGet Package Manager or a PackageReference to add a reference to Steeltoe.Common.Net

Managing the Connection

The state of the connection to the file share is managed through the lifecycle of WindowsNetworkFileShare. To open the connection, instantiate a WindowsFileShare:

var fileShare = new WindowsNetworkFileShare(@"\\server\path", new System.Net.NetworkCredential("username", "password"));

The constructor opens the connection with the equivalent of the net use command by calling WNetAddConnection2 with the information provided in the constructor.

To close the connection, call dispose on the WindowsNetworkFileShare:

fileShare.Dispose();

Because WindowsNetworkFileShare implements IDisposable, you can also manage the WindowsNetworkFileShare with a using statement:

using (new WindowsNetworkFileShare(@"\\server\path", new System.Net.NetworkCredential("username", "password")))
{
    // Interact with an attached network share here
};

WARNING: Levels of support for accessing SMB shares on TAS for Windows may vary by installed version. Support for IP-based SMB shares was included with the initial 2.4 release and in patch releases for lower versions. Support for FQDN-based SMB shares will be included in PASW 2.5 and in patch releases for lower versions. See the TAS Release notes to confirm the relevant patch version required.

Managing Credentials

Credentials are generally required for interacting with SMB shares. WindowsNetworkFileShare does not have an opinion on where those credentials are stored. However, as a general guideline, storing credentials with your application's code or standard configuration is not recommended. Consider using the CredHub Service Broker for storing and retrieving your credentials.

When used in conjunction with the Cloud Foundry Configuration Provider, you can access the values as follows:

public SomeClassConstructor(IOptions<CloudFoundryServicesOptions> serviceOptions)
{
    var userName = serviceOptions.Services["credhub"]
       .First(q => q.Name.Equals("my-network-share"))
       .Credentials["share-username"].Value;
    var password = serviceOptions.Services["credhub"]
       .First(q => q.Name.Equals("my-network-share"))
       .Credentials["share-password"].Value;

    // create credential object to pass to WindowsNetworkFileShare
    var _shareCredential = new NetworkCredential(userName, password);
}