Microsoft Windows 2003 and OpenAFS client

Next week Microsoft will be posting Knowledge Base article KB969289
which describes a flaw in the Microsoft SMB Redirector on Windows Server
2003. A public hot fix will be available for download once this KB
article is posted. All users of Windows 2003 that have an OpenAFS for
Windows client installed on the system *should* upgrade to SP2 and
install this hot fix.  The issue in question can result in machine
performance degradation over time with loss of access to file systems
accessed via the SMB redirector (Windows File Shares, Dfs, AFS, etc.)
and eventually loss of console access. 

Administrators are strongly encouraged to install OpenAFS for Windows
1.5.59 at the same time they install the KB969289 hot fix.  If 2003 SP2
and the KB969289 hot fix cannot installed, it is imperative that OAFW
1.5.59 be installed.  Prior releases of OAFW are more likely to tickle
the condition that results in the performance degradation.

It is suspected that the Windows XP version of the SMB redirector
contains the same issue.  As XP will reach the end of its mainstream
support next Tuesday and hard evidence of the issue has yet to be
submitted to Microsoft by a paying PSS customer, it is unlikely that a
fix will be made available.

Jeffrey Altman