Learn how to resolve mount.nfs: Stale file handle error on Linux platform. This is Network File System error can be resolved from client or server end.
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When you are using Network File System in your environment, you must have seen`mount.nfs: Stale file handle` error at times. This error denotes that NFS share is unable to mount since something has changed since last good known configuration.
Whenever you reboot NFS server or some of the NFS processes are not running on client or server or share is not properly exported at server; these can be reasons for this error. Moreover its irritating when this error comes to previously mounted NFS share. Because this means configuration part is correct since it was previously mounted. In such case once can try following commands:
Make sure NFS service are running good on client and server.
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If NFS share currently mounted on client, then un-mount it forcefully and try to remount it on NFS client. Check if its properly mounted by `df` command and changing directory inside it.
If you see in above example that 4 PID are using some files on said mount point. Try killing them off to free mount point. Once done you will be able to un-mount it properly.
Sometimes it still give same error for mount command. Then try mounting after restarting NFS service at client using below command.
```
# service nfs restart
Shutting down NFS daemon: [ OK ]
Shutting down NFS mountd: [ OK ]
Shutting down NFS quotas: [ OK ]
Shutting down RPC idmapd: [ OK ]
Starting NFS services: [ OK ]
Starting NFS quotas: [ OK ]
Starting NFS mountd: [ OK ]
Starting NFS daemon: [ OK ]
```
Also read : [How to restart NFS step by step in HPUX][5]
Even if this didnt solve your issue, final step is to restart services at NFS server. Caution! This will disconnect all NFS shares which are exported from NFS server. All clients will see mount point disconnect. This step is where 99% you will get your issue resolved. If not then [NFS configurations][6] must be checked, provided you have changed configuration and post that you started seeing this error.
Outputs in above post are from RHEL6.3 server. Drop us your comments related to this post.