Shared resource
In computing, a shared resource, or network share, is a computer resource made available from one host to other hosts on a computer network.[1][2] It is a device or piece of information on a computer that can be remotely accessed from another computer transparently as if it were a resource in the local machine. Network sharing is made possible by inter-process communication over the network.[2][3]
Some examples of shareable resources are
The term
Common file systems and protocols
Shared file and printer access require an
The most common such file systems and protocols are:
Primary operating system | Application protocol | Transport protocol |
---|---|---|
Mac operating systems | SMB, Apple Filing Protocol[5] | |
Unix-like systems | Network File System (NFS), SMB |
|
MS-DOS, Windows | CIFS |
|
Novell NetWare (server)MS-DOS, Windows (client) |
|
The "primary operating system" is the operating system on which the file sharing protocol in question is most commonly used.
On
Shared resource access can also be implemented with
Naming convention and mapping
The share can be accessed by client computers through some naming convention, such as
PC computers. This implies that a network share can be addressed according to the following:- \\ServerComputerName\ShareName
where ServerComputerName is the WINS name, DNS name or IP address of the server computer, and ShareName may be a folder or file name, or its path. The shared folder can also be given a ShareName that is different from the folder local name at the server side. For example, \\ServerComputerName\c$ usually denotes a drive with drive letter C: on a Windows machine.
A shared drive or folder is often mapped at the client PC computer, meaning that it is assigned a
Security issues
A network share can become a security liability when access to the shared files is gained (often by devious means) by those who should not have access to them. Many
A network share is typically made accessible to other users by marking any
In operating system editions for homes and small offices, there may be a special pre-shared folder that is accessible to all users with a user account and password on the local computer. Network access to the pre-shared folder can be turned on. In the English version of the
Workgroup topology or centralized server
In home and small office networks, a decentralized approach is often used, where every user may make their local folders and printers available to others. This approach is sometimes denoted a Workgroup or peer-to-peer network topology, since the same computer may be used as client as well as server.
In large enterprise networks, a centralized file server or print server, sometimes denoted client–server paradigm, is typically used. A client process on the local user computer takes the initiative to start the communication, while a server process on the file server or print server remote computer passively waits for requests to start a communication session
In very large networks, a
Online storage on a server outside the local network is currently an option, especially for homes and small office networks.
Comparison to file transfer
Shared file access should not be confused with file transfer using the
Shared file access is normally considered as a local area network (LAN) service, while FTP is an Internet service.
Shared file access is transparent to the user, as if it was a resource in the local file system, and supports a multi-user environment. This includes
Comparison to file synchronization
Shared file access involves but should not be confused with
History
The first international heterogenous network for resource sharing was the 1973 interconnection of the ARPANET with early British academic networks through the computer science department at University College London (UCL).[8][9][10]
See also
- Client portals
- Distributed file systems
- Internetworking
- Network-attached storage (NAS)
- Resource contention
- Time-sharing
- Tragedy of the commons, the economic theory of a shared-resource system where individuals behave contrary to the common good
- Virtual private network
- Web literacy, includes sharing via web technology
- Website
References
- ^ . Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ a b Walden, David C. (July 1970). A Note on Interprocess in a Resource Sharing Computer Network. . Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ Walden, David C. (August 1970). A System for Interprocess Communication in a Resource Sharing Computer Network. . Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ Microsoft Technet, File and Printer Sharing in Windows Vista, May 14, 2007
- ^ "Apple shifts from AFP file sharing to SMB2 in OS X 10.9 Mavericks". AppleInsider. Quiller Media, Inc. 11 June 2013.
- ^ Katy Ivens, Networking for dummies, 4th edition, 2007, page 121. Suggest the term "pre-shared folder".
- ^ Share Files across Cloud Storage.
- ISBN 978-1849805049. Retrieved 2015-08-16.
- S2CID 1558618. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2020-02-07.
- ^ "30 years of the international internet". BBC News. 19 November 2003. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- Graves, Michael W. (2004). The Complete Guide to Networking And Network +. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-4018-3339-8.
- Meyers, Michael; Jernigan, Scott (2004). Mike Meyers' A+ Guide to Operating Systems. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-223124-3.
- Pirkola, G. C. (June 1975). "A file system for a general-purpose time-sharing environment". ISSN 0018-9219.
- Pirkola, G. C.; Sanguinetti, John. "The Protection of Information in a General Purpose Time-Sharing Environment" (PDF). Proceedings of the IEEE Symposium on Trends and Applications 1977: Computer Security and Integrity. Vol. 10. pp. 106–114. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-01.