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Network File and Resource Sharing Protocols and the TCP/IP Network File System (NFS)
To the typical end user, networks
were created for one main reason: to permit the sharing of information.
Most information on computers exists in the form of files that reside
on storage devices such as hard disks; thus, one primary purpose of
networks is to let users share files. File transfer and message transfer
protocols exist that allow users to “manually” move files
from one place to the next, but a more automated method is preferable
in many cases. Internetworking protocols provide such capabilities in
the form of network file and resource sharing protocols.
In this section, I provide a description
of network file and resource sharing protocols from the standpoint of
TCP/IP networks. I begin with a brief overview of the concepts and operation
of this class of protocols, discussing some of the elements common to
the different types. I then describe the most common one defined specifically
for TCP/IP: the Network File System (NFS).
 Related Information: Obviously, network file and resource sharing protocols and services are closely related to the file and message transfer protocols I mentioned earlier. For example, NFS can be used to accomplish tasks similar to those performed by TCP/IP file and message transfer applications such as FTP and HTTP. I consider those protocols more like specific end-user application unto themselves, and therefore describe them in the section on application protocols. I realize that this distinction between “manual” and “automatic” file transfer is somewhat arbitrary, but then, so are a lot of other things in the great world of networking. J
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