Before you begin

Before setting up your NFS environment, consider the following:

• Determine which machines will be the server and client machines and which ones will have dual roles. This will determine whether you will use the sharing and/or mounting functions. In general, servers use the share command while clients use the mount command. Machines that function as both server and client use both commands. See ``Using NFS on a server'' and ``Using NFS on a client'' for details on the share and mount commands.

• Identify the filesystems that the server will allow clients to access. Not all files are appropriate for sharing with other systems. Note the pathnames of the resources you will be sharing. You will need this information when using the share command.

• On the client side, determine which resources are available for mounting. See ``Obtaining NFS information'' for the available commands.

• Define the access privileges that clients will have on the shared filesystems. Never allow write privilege on files that should never be updated. Pay particular attention to the -o option of the share command. See ``Controlling access to shared resources''.

• Provide the necessary sharing mechanism, either automatic or explicit. Some files are meant to be shared on a regular basis with other systems. These files are likely candidates for automatic sharing. When you use automatic sharing, familiarize yourself with the /etc/dfs/dfstab file. See ``Automatically sharing NFS resources''.

• On the client side, provide the necessary mounting mechanism, either automatic or explicit. Some remote resources need to be mounted on a regular basis. These resources are likely candidates for automatic mounting. When you use automatic mounting, familiarize yourself with the /etc/vfstab file. See ``Automatically mounting NFS resources''.