Linux File Sharing Services – A Comparison

Unit 4 Discussion: Linux File Sharing Services – A Comparison

There are occasions where we need to share information between different clients who are running different operating systems on their computers. Which File Sharing service should be the best software to use on our Linux network? Should we use NFS, CIFS, SMB or some other software application on our Linux servers?

The tasks of the administrator is to make sure these services are installed and configured properly so the files can be shared.

In your discussion post: choose to expand the following list of advantages and disadvantages between Samba and NFS for Linux File Sharing services.

SMB/CIFS Benefits:
- Native Windows Support
- Security (at least perceived) better on open networks

NFS Benefits:
- Can achieve higher transfer speeds
- Typically uses a lot less server CPU power
- Can take advantage of multiple CPU cores per instance.
- Native support for Unix like systems (BSD/Linux/Android/OS X)

• Visit several sites listed below and compile a list of three (3) advantages of using Samba File Sharing over NFS on a Linux server. Try to select different advantages that of your peers have not already posted.
• Describe each of the three advantages and provide a screenshot or description of each. You may need to search the public web using a search engine like Google or Bing to find screenshots of systems with different services. Cite any sources you use in APA format; this includes sources for any screenshots that are not your own.
• When responding to your peers’ posts, describe your initial thoughts on the best advantage over the other systems’ services they posted. Note any major similarities or differences your notice between the different services.

Additional Resources

Sharing Files and Printers with Windows client with Samba (Links to an external site.)

Linux and Samba File Sharing (Links to an external site.)

Samba: Share Linux Folders (Links to an external site.)

You must respond to at least two (2) of your classmates. Ask questions to get the conversation moving. To further enhance the discussion, return to your original post throughout the week and respond to a few of the comments and questions raised by classmates and instructor.

If you do not know anything about the topics being discussed, research and come back to the board. Remember to provide proper APA citation for any resources you use and make sure to include the source links. Remember to proofread and spell check your discussion contributions before posting.