file sharing / SMB / mds crashes on Monterey

There must be a serious error with file sharing/SMB/mds on Monterey (also Big Sur).

At work we connect to a Mac mini (M1, referred to "file server") with 5 shares (external hard drives connected with USB 3) from 2 MBP's and Mac mini all running Monterey.

4-5 times during a workday we have to reboot all machines because the hard drive/folder content disappears on the file server shares. Sometimes just a SMB reboot (file sharing) on the file server is enough.

This problem started during Catalina.

We have a long history with a Mac file server (ca from 2000). Before it was with MacOS Server, but when the file server feature was removed we switched to just using the file sharing feature in macOS (as apple recommended). This worked fine for some years until it didn't.

What we have done (in order):

• Replaced/updated the "file server" external HDs
  • Early 2021
  • all USB3 now, some FW before
• Updated the "file server"
  • Bought a new Mac mini M1 early 2021
• Updated the "file server" OS
  • early December 2021 to Monterey, clean install, no old import
  • checked M1 hardware, it was OK
• Updated all workstations to Monterey
  • MBPs from Catalina (they work great)
• Checked permissions on the "file server"
• Checked the Energy setings
  • "Put hard disks..." not enabled
  • "Prevent you Mac" ... enabled

Console - Crash reports:

• mds

Crashed Thread: 1 Dispatch queue: MDSStoreManager

Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)

Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000008

Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000001, 0x0000000000000008

Exception Note: EXC_CORPSE_NOTIFY

Termination Reason: Namespace SIGNAL, Code 11 Segmentation fault: 11

Terminating Process: exc handler [779]

All external hard drives are formatted as MAC OS Extended journaled and are mechanical.

One of them was SSD with APFS before but it had the same errors.

I do not understand how this can be happening. SMB not working and there is no AFP option or other.

Please enlighten me!