AFS (Andrew File System)

A Distributed File System

Agenda
Introduction AFS architecture Andrew Distributed File System

Introduction
Andrew File System (AFS) is one of the distributed file systems that been developed at Carnegie Mellon University. AFS enables file sharing across both local area and wide area networks. It is designed to be heterogeneous, scalable, & it runs efficiently on including UNIX, Linux, Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows.
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AFS architecture:
AFS is implemented as two software components that exist as UNIX processes called Vice and Venus.

Andrew Distributed File System

1. Communication
AFS communication is implemented over TCP/IP. Remote Procedure Call protocol developed for AFS is used for communication between machines. The communication protocol is optimized for wide area networks, and there are no restrictions on geographical locations of participating servers and clients.

2. Naming
AFS provides location transparency and location independent. One cannot determine the server hosting the file from its name. Files can be moved automatically between different file systems.

3. Synchronization
Concurrency control is provided in Andrew by emulation of the system call. Lock and unlock operations on a file are performed directly on its custodian. If a client does not release a lock within 30 minutes, it is timed out by the server

4. Consistency
AFS principle is the cashing of entire files from servers. Venus may contact vice only when a file is opened or closed, reading and writing of files are performed directly on the cashed copy.

4. Consistency Continue
Call back: o when a client cashes a file, the server updates its state information to record this cashing. o The server notifies the client if the file is updated by another client. Reading and writing bytes of a file are done directly by the kernel without venus intervention on the cashed copy. The only occasions on which venus contacts vice servers are on opens of files that either are not in the cashe and on closes of locally modified files.

5. Fault Tolerance
AFS is location independent therefore files can exist on any server and the same view given to the clients. This allows the files to be replicated and placed on different servers. If Vice determines that the server with the requested volume is down, it can direct the request to one of the replicas.

6. Security
Vice server an a client communicate via encrypted messages. Encryption is performed by hardware devices or in software. Information about clients and groups is stored in a protection database replicated at each server. AFS provide access lists for protection. The access list may contain information about users allowed to access a directory , as well as information about users not allowed to access it. AFS support the access types: - Read - Write - Lookup - Insert - administrator - Lock - delete