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https://github.com/volkansah/optimize-samba-settings

Some tips to speed up Samba (SMB) Server
https://github.com/volkansah/optimize-samba-settings

samba samba-server server-environment smb-compression tunning

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Some tips to speed up Samba (SMB) Server

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README 

          

# Optimize your Samba Server 

### update 2024



By following these tips, you can optimize your Samba Server and provide a faster and more reliable file sharing service for your users.

> **⚠️ Warning:**  

> These settings are for advanced users only. Misconfigurations **will** damage your system. Always make a backup of your `smb.conf` file before making changes.

Note: These configurations are specifically designed for a Samba Server environment, not for consumer-grade NAS devices or systems where SMB is simply passing data packets throug!



## Table of Contents

- [Basics](#basics)

  - [Use the latest version of Samba](#use-the-latest-version-of-samba)

  - [Use the appropriate SMB protocol version](#use-the-appropriate-smb-protocol-version)

  - [Configure the network settings](#configure-the-network-settings)

  - [Optimize Samba settings](#optimize-samba-settings)

  - [Use an appropriate file system](#use-an-appropriate-file-system)

  - [Use a caching solution](#use-a-caching-solution)

  - [Enable Asynchronous I/O](#enable-asynchronous-io)

  - [Use Modern Compression](#use-modern-compression)

  - [Enable Multi-Channel Support](#enable-multi-channel-support)

  - [Optimize for SSD/NVMe Storage](#optimize-for-ssdnvme-storage)

  - [Regularly Monitor and Tune Performance](#regularly-monitor-and-tune-performance)

  - [Use the Latest Kernel](#use-the-latest-kernel)

- [Advanced Settings](#advanced-settings)

  - [Socket options](#socket-options)

  - [Read raw and write raw](#read-raw-and-write-raw)

  - [SMB encrypt](#smb-encrypt)

  - [Max protocol](#max-protocol)

- [Only for Advanced Users (can damage your system)](#only-for-advanced-users-can-damage-your-system)

  - [Example smb.conf file](#example-smbconf-file)



## Basics



### Use the latest version of Samba

Using the latest version of Samba can help ensure that you are using the most up-to-date and optimized code. You can check for the latest version of Samba on the official Samba website.



### Use the appropriate SMB protocol version

SMB supports multiple protocol versions, including SMBv1, SMBv2, and SMBv3. Using the latest protocol version that is supported by your clients and server can improve performance and security. You can configure the SMB protocol version in the Samba configuration file (/etc/samba/smb.conf).



### Configure the network settings

Configuring the network settings on your clients and server can help improve performance. For example, using a wired Ethernet connection instead of a wireless connection can provide a faster and more stable network connection. You can also optimize the network settings in the Samba configuration file.



### Optimize Samba settings

There are several Samba settings that you can optimize to improve performance, such as increasing the socket options, setting the read raw and write raw options to yes, and disabling SMB packet signing. You can configure these settings in the Samba configuration file.



### Use an appropriate file system

Using an appropriate file system on your server can also help improve performance. For example, using an SSD or NVMe drive can provide faster read and write speeds than a traditional hard drive. You can also consider using a file system that is optimized for Samba, such as the Samba File System (SFS).



### Use a caching solution

Using a caching solution, such as Samba's built-in VFS cache or an external caching solution like memcached, can help improve performance by reducing the number of disk accesses needed to serve requests.



### Enable Asynchronous I/O

Enabling asynchronous I/O (AIO) can improve performance by allowing the server to handle multiple I/O operations simultaneously. You can enable AIO in the Samba configuration file.



```shell

aio read size = 1

aio write size = 1

```



### Use Modern Compression

Modern compression algorithms can significantly reduce the amount of data transmitted over the network. You can enable SMB compression in Samba.



```shell

smb compression = yes

```

 - Enables SMB compression, which can significantly reduce the amount of data transmitted over the network.

 - Supported on Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019 or later.

Please read this! -> https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/smb-compression



### Enable Multi-Channel Support

SMB3 introduced multi-channel support, which allows the use of multiple network connections for a single SMB session, increasing throughput and redundancy.



```shell

server multi channel support = yes

```

 - Enables SMB3 multi-channel support, which allows the use of multiple network connections for a single SMB session, increasing throughput and redundancy.

 - Supported on Windows Server 2012 R2 and later.



### Optimize for SSD/NVMe Storage

If you are using SSD or NVMe storage, you can further optimize Samba by adjusting settings specific to high-speed storage solutions.



```shell

write cache size = 10485760

```



### Regularly Monitor and Tune Performance

Regular monitoring of your Samba server's performance can help identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. Use tools like \`smbstatus\`, \`iotop\`, and \`htop\` to monitor Samba activity and system performance.



### Use the Latest Kernel

The Linux kernel receives numerous updates and performance improvements. Using the latest stable kernel can provide better performance and hardware support for your Samba server.



## Advanced Settings



### Socket options

The socket options setting controls various socket options for the connection between the server and clients. You can increase the SO_RCVBUF and SO_SNDBUF values to increase the size of the receive and send buffers, respectively. This can help improve performance by allowing more data to be sent and received at once. Here's an example:



```shell

socket options = SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192

```



### Read raw and write raw

The read raw and write raw settings control whether Samba uses raw mode for reading and writing data. When set to yes, Samba bypasses the standard I/O buffering and caching mechanisms, which can help improve performance. Here's an example:



```shell

read raw = yes

write raw = yes

```



### SMB encrypt

The smb encrypt setting controls whether SMB packet encryption is used. When set to desired or required, all SMB packets are encrypted, which can help improve security but may decrease performance. You can set this to off if performance is more important than security. Here's an example:



```shell

smb encrypt = off

```



### Max protocol

The max protocol setting controls the maximum SMB protocol version that Samba will use. Setting this to the latest version that is supported by your clients and server can help improve performance and security. Here's an example:



```shell

max protocol = SMB3

```



You can also adjust other settings in the smb.conf file to further optimize Samba performance. Be sure to test any changes in a non-production environment before making them on your production server.



> **⚠️ Warning:**  

> These settings are for advanced users only. Misconfigurations can damage your system. Always make a backup of your `smb.conf` file before making changes.



### Example smb.conf file

An example smb.conf file that is optimized for performance:



```shell

[global]

; Set socket options to optimize network performance

socket options = TCP_NODELAY IPTOS_LOWDELAY SO_RCVBUF=65536 SO_SNDBUF=65536



; Enable raw read operations

read raw = yes



; Enable raw write operations

write raw = yes



; Set the maximum SMB protocol version to SMB3

max protocol = SMB3



; Require server signing for all communications

server signing = mandatory



; Require encryption for all SMB communications

smb encrypt = required



; Enable strict allocation of file space

strict allocate = yes



; Enable opportunistic locking

oplocks = yes



; Enable kernel-level opportunistic locking

kernel oplocks = yes



; Disable POSIX locking

posix locking = no



; Ensure data is always synchronized with disk

sync always = yes



; Use the sendfile system call for sending files

use sendfile = yes



; Set the minimum size for receivefile operation

min receivefile size = 16384



; Set the size of the write cache

write cache size = 2097152



; Set the time in minutes before an idle connection is terminated

deadtime = 15



; Set the maximum transmit packet size

max xmit = 65535



; Enable large read and write operations

large readwrite = yes



; Set the maximum size of the log file in kilobytes

max log size = 2048



; Set the logging level (1 = minimal logging)

log level = 1



[share1]

; Path to the shared directory

path = /path/to/share1



; Allow read and write access to valid users

read only = no



; Specify valid users who can access the share

valid users = user1



; Specify users who have write access to the share

write list = user1



```



This example smb.conf file includes some of the settings mentioned earlier, such as socket options, read raw, write raw, and max protocol. It also includes other settings to further optimize Samba performance, such as sync always, use sendfile, and large readwrite.



Note that this is just an example configuration, and you may need to adjust the settings based on your specific environment and requirements. Also, be sure to test any changes in a non-production environment before making them on your production server.



## Credits

**Volkan Sah**