NFS vs. CIFS

1. CIFS protocol analysis CIFS (Common Internet file system, public Internet File System) is one of the mainstream file systems shared by heterogeneous platforms. The main application is developed by Microsoft in the NT/Windows environment. The working principle is to allow the CIFS protocol to run over the TCP/IP communication protocol, so that UNIX computers can be seen by Windows computers on network neighbors. Microsoft releases Server Message Block (SMB) to implement the CIFS protocol. 2. Network File System (NFS) is one of the mainstream file systems shared by heterogeneous platforms. It is mainly used in UNIX environments. It was first developed by sunmicrosystem and now supports file sharing between different types of systems over the network. It is widely used in FreeBSD, SCO, Solaris, and other heterogeneous operating system platforms, allows a system to share directories and files with others on the network. By using NFS, users and programs can access files on the remote system just like accessing local files, so that nodes on each computer can use online resources as conveniently as using local resources. The working principle of NFS is to use the client/server architecture, which consists of a client program and a server program. A server program provides access to a file system to other computers. The process is called "output ". When the NFS client program accesses the shared file system, it "delivers" them from the NFS server. Files are usually transmitted in blocks. The size is 8 KB (although it may split the operation into smaller parts ). 3. Comparison between CIFS and NFS (1) CIFS shared protocol for network connections, which has high requirements on the reliability of network transmission and usually uses TCP/IP; NFS is transmitted independently, TCP or UDP can be used. (2) One of the disadvantages of NFS is that the client must install dedicated software. CIFS is integrated into the OS without additional software. (3) NFS is a stateless protocol, while CIFS is a stateful protocol. NFS is not affected by a fault, and the interaction process can be self-restored. From the perspective of transmission efficiency, CIFS is superior to NFS, there is not much redundant information transfer. (4) both protocols require file format conversion. NFS retains the Unix File Format features, such as all users and groups; CIFS is based on win. 4. NAS is connected to CIFS and NFS. NAS (network attached storage, network attached storage) has its own file system, has a large storage capacity, and has certain file management and service functions. NAS devices and clients are connected through an IP network. Files are shared between different platforms based on the NFS/CIFS protocol. data transmission is organized by files. NAS uses file-based communication protocols, such as NFS (common in UNIX systems) or CIFS (commonly used in Windows systems ). In contrast, the storage area network (SAN) uses a block-based communication protocol, which is usually converted into a fiber channel or iSCSI through SCSI.

NFS vs. CIFS