---
title: "Network Share (SMB)"
description: Forward SAP documents to Windows / SMB network shares. Domain auth, custom paths, UNC-style access.
type: smb
use_cases:
  - Legacy Windows file server integration
  - On-premise document archiving to network shares
  - Windows-based departmental file distribution
config_fields:
  - name: host
    type: string
    required: true
    desc: "SMB server hostname or IP address (e.g. fileserver.corp.local)"
  - name: share
    type: string
    required: true
    desc: "Share name (e.g. sap-archive)"
  - name: path
    type: string
    required: false
    desc: "Subfolder path within the share (e.g. SAP/Invoices)"
  - name: port
    type: integer
    required: false
    desc: "SMB port (default: 445)"
credential_fields:
  - name: username
    type: string
    required: false
    desc: "Login username (optional for guest access)"
  - name: password
    type: string
    required: false
    desc: "Login password"
  - name: domain
    type: string
    required: false
    desc: "Windows domain (default: WORKGROUP)"
---

Forward SAP documents to Windows SMB shares — writes directly to UNC paths. Best for on-prem environments with existing Windows file server infrastructure.

> **Reachability** — the FileRelay connector must reach the SMB server on TCP 445. For **Self-hosted** and **Managed on-prem** this is automatic. For **FileRelay-hosted**, a site-to-site VPN or peering link is required so the dedicated environment can see your file servers.

## Setup

1. Identify the share — UNC looks like `\\fileserver\sap-archive`.
2. Provision a service account with write at **both** share-level and NTFS-level.
3. Verify reachability from the connector host: `net use \\fileserver\sap-archive /user:DOMAIN\username`.
4. In FileRelay, add a **Network Share (SMB)** destination — server, share, credentials, optional subfolder.

> **REPLACE:** Screenshot of the SMB destination form

## How it works

SMB 2.x / 3.x with the provided credentials. Navigates to the configured path, creates subdirectories per routing rules, writes the document. Works on workgroup and AD-joined environments.

## Path

```
\\{host}\{share}\{path}\{subfolder}\{doc_id}.{ext}
```

- **path** — optional subfolder within the share
- **subfolder** — auto-generated by routing (date, repository, flat)
- **ext** — derived from MIME type

Example: `\\fileserver\sap-archive\SAP\Invoices\2026-04\4500012345.pdf`. Missing directories are created if the user has the perms.

## Authentication

**Active Directory** — domain + service-account username + password. Authenticates as `DOMAIN\user`. Use a dedicated service account, not a personal one.

**Workgroup** — set `domain` to `WORKGROUP` or leave empty.

**Guest access** — leave username and password empty. **Not recommended** for production (no access control or audit).

## Permissions

The user needs writes at **both** layers:

| Layer | Required | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Share | Change | Write files + create folders |
| NTFS | Write, Create folders / Append data | Files + subdirectories |

"Access Denied" → check both. They're enforced independently.

## Network requirements

| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Protocol | SMB 2.x or 3.x |
| Port | 445/TCP (configurable) |
| Connectivity | Direct from connector host |
| DNS | Hostname must resolve (or use IP) |
| Firewall | 445 open between connector host and server |

## Tips

- **Service account** — non-expiring password (or managed service account) to avoid disruption from password policy.
- **SMB signing** — supported transparently. No FileRelay-side config needed.
- **DFS** — use the DFS namespace path as the host + share (e.g. `host: contoso.local`, `share: dfs/sap-documents`).
- **Antivirus** — on-access scanning slows writes; exclude the FileRelay target folder if you see performance issues.
- **Long paths** — Windows defaults to 260 chars. Keep paths concise, or enable `LongPathsEnabled` (Server 2016+) for unlimited.
- **SMB 3 encryption** — supported when both ends speak SMB 3.0+.
- **Monitoring** — enable NTFS auditing on the target folder; the file server's Event Viewer tracks every FileRelay write.