The TCP/IP Guide  9  TCP/IP Application Layer Protocols, Services and Applications (OSI Layers 5, 6 and 7)       9  Network File and Resource Sharing Protocols and the TCP/IP Network File System (NFS)

Network File and Resource Sharing Protocols and the TCP/IP Network File System (NFS) 1 2 TCP/IP Network File System (NFS)

Components of a File and Resource Sharing Protocol

Network file and resource sharing protocols allow users to share files “effortlessly”, but that doesn't mean the work doesn't still have to happen. It is still there, but shouldered by those who write the protocol, and those who administer its operation. Generally speaking, these protocols require at least the following general components:

• File System Model and Architecture: A mechanism for defining resources and files to be shared, and for describing how the “virtual file system” works.
  
  
• Resource Access Method: Procedures that describe how a user can attach or detach a distant resource from his or her local host.
  
  
• Operation Set: A set of operations for accomplishing various tasks that the user needs to perform on files on other hots.
  
  
• Messaging Protocol: Message formats that carry operations to be performed, status information and more, and a protocol for exchanging these messages between devices.
  
  
• Administrative Tools: Miscellaneous functionality needed to support the operation of the protocol and tie the other elements together.

The most common file and resource sharing protocol used in TCP/IP today is the Network File System (NFS). It is described in more detail in the next section.

Network File and Resource Sharing Protocols and the TCP/IP Network File System (NFS) 1 2 TCP/IP Network File System (NFS)