AFS (Andrew File System)

Andrew File System is a newer alternative to the Network File System (NFS), a protocol that allows individuals use of files on a network as though the files were on each user's own machine. AFS enables clients and servers to share file system resources on local caches, thereby reducing file traffic to remote file servers.

URLs:

AFS FAQ

The official Frequently Asked Questions document for AFS.

AFS Beginners Guide

Getting started with AFS

Two beginner's guides.

W3E References:

NFS (Network Filing System)

The UNIX-oriented precursor to AFS, developed by Sun Microsystems

Print Resources:

• Andrew: A Distributed Personal Computing Environment. James H. Morris, Mahadev Satyanarayanan, Michael H. Conner, John H. Howard, David S. H. Rosenthal, and F. Donelson Smith. Communications of the ACM. Vol. 29, No. 3. March 1986. Pp. 184-201.

Detail:

AFS's advantages over NFS include additional security, greater simplicity of operation, broader applicability, and increased speed of operation.

AFS is based on a distributed file system originally developed at the Information Technology Center at Carnegie-Mellon University. The name of the research project, "Andrew," honors the founder Andrew Carnegie. AFS is now marketed, maintained, and extended by Transarc Corporation.