What is NFS?

Network File System (NFS) is a way for computers on the same network to share folders and files as if they were on their own hard drives. It lets one machine store data that other machines can read, write, and manage over the network.

Let's break it down

  • Network: a group of computers that can talk to each other, like the internet or a local office LAN.
  • File System: the method a computer uses to organize and keep track of files on a disk.
  • Share: make something available for others to use.
  • As if they were on their own hard drives: the remote files appear in the same way as local files, so you don’t need special tools to open them.
  • Read, write, manage: you can look at the files, change them, add new ones, or delete them.

Why does it matter?

NFS makes it easy for multiple computers to work with the same data without copying it everywhere, saving time, storage space, and reducing errors caused by outdated copies. It’s especially helpful in environments where teamwork and data consistency are critical.

Where is it used?

  • Corporate file servers: employees across an office can open and save documents on a central server.
  • High-performance computing (HPC) clusters: many compute nodes need fast access to the same large datasets.
  • Media production studios: video editors and animators share huge media files across workstations.
  • Virtual machine storage: multiple virtual machines can store their virtual disks on a shared NFS server.

Good things about it

  • Simple to set up on Unix-like systems.
  • Transparent access: files behave like local files.
  • Works well over standard Ethernet networks.
  • Scales from a few machines to hundreds in large clusters.
  • Open standard, supported by many operating systems.

Not-so-good things

  • Performance can drop on high-latency or congested networks.
  • Security is limited; older NFS versions lack strong authentication and encryption.
  • File locking can be tricky, leading to occasional conflicts in simultaneous edits.
  • Not ideal for Windows-only environments without extra configuration.