3.4. Network File System

Whereas CIFS is the dominant network file system for Windows clients, the Network File System (NFS) is the dominant network file system for UNIX clients. In addition, NFS was the first widely deployed network file system, dating back to the early to mid-1980s. But even though the overall objective of both NFS and CIFS is the same—namely, to provide network file system functionality that allows clients to access resources on servers—the two have remarkably differing philosophies. With the introduction of NFS version 4, these differences are being somewhat reconciled.

Whereas CIFS is a state-based protocol—that is, the server retains a state associated with each client—NFS versions up to version 3 have a stateless protocol ...

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