Optimize & Fix AlmaLinux Samba

Our production file-share runs on AlmaLinux with Samba and I’m seeing sluggish transfer speeds that vary wildly across mixed file types. I’ve ruled out basic network congestion, so the bottleneck is almost certainly in the current Samba configuration.

Here’s what I need:

• Pinpoint and eliminate any configuration errors that could be throttling throughput.
• Tune smb.conf and related system parameters for consistently fast transfers of both large binaries and many small documents (the workload is truly mixed).
• Document each change, why it was made, and the performance delta observed after the adjustment.

Acceptance criteria: after your tweaks, average transfer speeds for a representative mixed-file batch must meet or exceed gigabit-line expectations, and no new permission or connectivity issues may appear. You’ll have SSH access to a staging clone first, then we roll to production once the results are verified.

If you live and breathe AlmaLinux, Samba, IO scheduler tweaks, socket options, and can read wireshark traces or iostat output in your sleep, I’d love your help.