CIFS (Common Internet File System) is a protocol that allows clients to access files on a server over a network. It is an extension of the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol that was originally used in Microsoft operating systems13.
The main features of CIFS are:
- File Sharing: CIFS allows multiple users to simultaneously access files on a server, providing file locking to prevent conflicts. - Remote access: clients can connect to files on a CIFS server remotely over a network.
- Authentication: supports user authentication by username and password or Kerberos.
- ACLs (access control lists): administrators can set file and folder permissions for different users and groups.
- Caching: CIFS clients can cache file contents locally for faster access, with the cache updated when changes are made on the server.
- SMB protocol compatibility: CIFS is based on SMB 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 3.0 protocols for client-server communication. CIFS was widely used in early versions of Windows, but has been replaced by SMB3 in recent versions. However, many NAS devices and storage systems continue to support CIFS for compatibility with older software.
Comparison to NFS:
- Target OS: NFS was developed for Unix systems, including Linux and macOS, while CIFS was developed for Windows.
- File locking: CIFS supports server-side file locking, which provides better coordination and prevents conflicts when multiple clients access the same file. In NFS, locking is done on the client side.
- Security features: CIFS provides more advanced authentication and security features, including support for encryption.
