Remote File Systems

Remote file systems allow clients to access files stored on a server over a network as if they were local. These protocols are fundamental to enterprise IT infrastructure, enabling centralized storage, collaboration, and data management.

Protocols

• Server Message Block (SMB) - The standard file sharing protocol for Windows and mixed-OS environments (also see CIFS)
• Network File System (NFS) - The native file sharing protocol for Unix/Linux systems
• GlusterFS - Distributed network filesystem for scalable storage
• iSCSI - Block-level storage access over IP networks
• S3 Bucket - Object storage accessed via HTTP APIs

Learning Path

For a structured guide to mastering network file sharing, see the File Sharing & Network Storage learning path.