File Sharing with NFS

Network File System, defined in RFCs 1094 and 1813 of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), is a set of protocols for file access across a network. For example, clients use NFS to access files located on remote servers. NFS uses a client/server model and is based on the remote procedure call (RPC) protocol, a method of message exchange between client and server (defined in RFCs 1831, 1050, and 1057), and the external data representation (XDR) protocol, a method for translation of data between heterogeneous systems (defined in RFCs 1832 and 1014). Remote file systems located on the server are mounted locally on the client, and to the client system, the file systems appear to reside locally and can be accessed using normal resources, such as system calls and programs. Through a system of distributed file sharing, NFS permits interoperability across heterogeneous networks.

NFS provides files services. These features allow hosts to share files with each other.

NFS is a protocol. This minimizes the risks associated with recovering from a system crash, but it can impact performance. After a crash, the computer can be rebooted without the necessity of recovering the previous state. Most NFS requests are idempotent, so that routines complete actions only once, with the exception of such requests as deletes.