Network File System (NFS)

NFS is a virtual file system which allows file systems on remote machines to be made accessible over the network as if they were local filesystems.

Machines which make files available are called NFS servers, while those which utilize files made available by others are called NFS clients. On ECEnet, nearly all machines are NFS clients, and a smaller number are NFS servers.

Typically, software intended to be used by a large number of persons is installed on one or more of the CFS's designated file servers, while less popular packages are placed on faculty workstations.

Undergrad and staff home directories are primarily located on the CFS's designated file servers, but most other account types' home directories are distibuted among the various faculty workstations.

In essence, NFS permits us to locate software anywhere we want physically, and have it be known logically as something completely different. In conjunction with amd, this is a very powerful means of hiding the physical details of the network from users, and maintaining a consistent, logical view regardless of where a user is working.

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