File Serving
It is convenient for students and faculty to have access to their files
no matter what computer they’re using, so many universities provide
some sort of network storage. Requirements for a network storage
system include:
- Scalability. It must be able to handle use by all members
of the university. (e.g. at MIT, it must be able to handle 15000 users.)- Reliability and security
(it has to withstand use by a large number of highly intelligent,
curious computer science students with lots of time on their hands!)- Compatibility with Windows, Linux, and Macintosh
- Low Cost. It is likely that only a free software solution will
be inexpensive enough to be used on every computer on campus.- Support. It must already be deployed at many universities,
and books and other training materials must be readily available.The building block services for a network storage system include:
- File Serving
- Authentication
- Time Synchronization
- User Directory
- Domain Name Service
Oddly enough, it seems there is currently only one choice for the File
Serving service that meets all the above requirements: AFS (in the form
of OpenAFS).
That dictates several other choices:
AFS requires Kerberos as its user authentication service,
and Kerberos requires NTP as its time synchronization service.
Both probably require DNS as their hostname lookup service.
Lots of useful links re AFS, Kerberos, integration with clients, help desk pages at various universities, Active Directory, evaluations/critiques of alternatives, and other related topics.
