Deploying LucidLink on a SMB file server on Windows allows users to access file shares built on object storage in a way that they are already used to. This allows you to integrate object storage and LucidLink in an existing environment with very little additional complexity.

Note: You can also deploy LucidLink on Linux File Server using NFS. Note that LucidLink Client drivers differ on Windows and Linux. While it is possible to use SMB from Linux, if you wish to consume a Windows permission structure, you should deploy LucidLink on Windows.

1. Create your Filespace. This will involve you registering for a LucidLink account if you have not previously done so, entering a domain name for all your Filespaces, and then creating a Filespace on the object storage of your choice. As LucidLink is a file system as a service offering, note that for on-premises object storage, internet connectivity is required. This allows encrypted metadata to be synchronized and garbage collection to occur on a regular schedule.
2. Install the LucidLink Client (64-bit Windows). Before doing this its always a good idea to ensure your Windows Server has the latest updates and security patches installed.
3. Initialize your Filespace. Keep in mind that the block size you choose may affect the performance and scalability of your solution, depending on the object storage you are planning to use.
4. Once your Filespace is initialized you may wish to have the LucidLink Client start as a Windows Service. This allows it to run even if no users are not logged on.
5. You may wish to change the cache location to a high speed disk. Whether this is necessary depends on your network speed and the amount of users that will be connected to your setup. Should you have further questions around sizing please contact support.

The amount of allowed connections to a Windows File Server are well documented. Each machine connected to a Windows file server have a theoretical maximum of 32 open connections, however a maximum of 4 simultaneous connections are allowed per network interface, and that is if TCP receive side scaling (RSS) is enabled and SMB multi-channel is used. For more on this review: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/performance-tuning/role/file-server/smb-file-server

6. You may wish to change the cache size. A cache on a file server may range from 100MB - 10TB.
7. Change the mount point to a location of your choosing, either a drive letter, or a sub folder location on an existing drive.
8. Share out this mount point over the network using Windows file sharing. At this point you can access this like any other Windows file server share.