Network File System (NFS) is the protocol developed by Sun Microsystems that allows computers to use a remote file system as if it were a real part of the local machine. A common use of NFS is to allow users home directories to appear on every local machine they use, thus eliminating the need to have physical home directories. This opens up hot desking and other flexible working arrangements, especially because no matter where the user is, his home directory follows him around.

Another popular use for NFS is to share binary files between similar computers. If you have a new version of a package that you want all machines to have, you have to the upgrade only on the NFS server, and all hosts running the same version of Ubuntu will have the same upgraded package.


Installing and Starting or Stopping NFS
NFS is not installed by default on Ubuntu, so you need to install the nfs-common, nfskernel-server, and portmap packages. NFS itself consists of several programs that work together to provide the NFS server service. One is rpc.portmapper, which maps NFS requests to the correct daemon. Two others are rpc.nfsd, which is the NFS daemon, and rpc.mountd, which controls the mounting and unmounting of file systems. Ubuntu automatically adds NFS to the system startup scripts, so it will always be available after you have configured it. To check this, use the command sudo /etc/init.d/nfskernel-server status and it will show you that the service is running. If you need to manually start the NFS server, use the following command:

$ sudo /etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server start
Starting NFS services: [ OK ]
Starting NFS quotas: [ OK ]
Starting NFS daemon: [ OK ]
Starting NFS mountd: [ OK ]

In this example, NFS has been started. Use the stop keyword instead to stop the service, or restart to restart the server. This approach to controlling NFS proves handy, especially after configuration changes have been made. See the next section on how to configure
NFS support on your Ubuntu system.


NFS Server Configuration
You can configure the NFS server by editing the /etc/exports file. This file is similar to the /etc/fstab file in that it is used to set the permissions for the file systems being exported. The entries look like this:

/file/system yourhost(options) *.yourdomain.com(options) 192.168.0.0/24(options)

This shows three common clients to which to share /file/system. The first, yourhost, shares /file/system to just one host. The second, .yourdomain.com, uses the asterisk (*) as a wildcard to enable all hosts in yourdomain.com to access /file/system. The third share enables all hosts of the Class C network, 192.168.0.0, to access /file/share. For security, it is best not to use shares like the last two across the Internet because all data will be readable by any network the data passes by.

The following is an example of an /etc/exports file:

# /etc/exports: the access control list for filesystems which may be exported
# to NFS clients. See exports(5).
/home/andrew 192.168.0.0/24(rw,no_root_squash)

This file exports (makes available) /home/ahudson to any host in 192.168.0.* and allows users to read from and write to /home/andrew.

After you have finished with the /etc/exports file, the following command

$ sudo exportfs –a

exports all the file systems in the /etc/exports file to a list named xtab under the
/var/lib/nfs directory, which is used as a guide for mounting when a remote computer asks for a directory to be exported. The -r option to the command reads the entire
/etc/exports file and mounts all the entries. You can also use the exportfs command to
export specific files temporarily. Here’s an example using exportfs to export a file system:

/usr/sbin/exportfs -o async yourhost:/usr/tmp

This command exports /usr/tmp to yourhost with the async option.

Be sure to restart the NFS server after making any changes to /etc/exports. If you prefer, you can use Ubuntu’s shares-admin graphical client to set up NFS while using the X Window System. Start the client by clicking the System menu and then selecting the Shared Folders menu item from the Administration menu.

After you press Enter, you are prompted for your password. Type in the password and click OK; the main window will then display. Click the Add button to open the Add Share dialog box.

In the Path drop-down box, choose the directory that you want to share; in the Share drop-down box, choose NFS. Click the Add Host button that appears to specify which hosts, IP addresses, or networks to be allowed access to the directory. By default, a directory is exported as read/write, but you can choose read-only by ticking the Read Only option. When finished, click the OK button, click the Apply button, and then use the File menu to quit.


NFS Client Configuration
To configure your host as an NFS client (to acquire remote files or directories), you need to ensure that you have the nfs-common package installed, in order to be able to access NFS shares. Once you’ve installed this using either synaptic or apt-get, edit the /etc/fstab file as you would to mount any local file system. However, instead of using a device name to be mounted (such as /dev/sda1), enter the remote hostname and the desired file system to be imported. For example, one entry might look like this:

# Device Mount Point Type Options Freq Pass
yourhost:/usr/local /usr/local nfs nfsvers=3,ro 0 0

The Options column uses the same options as standard fstab file entries with some additional entries, such as nfsvers=3, which specifies the third version of NFS. You can also use the mount command, as root, to quickly attach a remote directory to a local file system by using a remote host’s name and exported directory. For example:

$ sudo mount -t nfs 192.168.2.67:/music /music

After you press Enter, the entire remote directory appears on your file system. You can verify the imported file system using the df command, as follows:

$ df
Filesystem 1k-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda2 18714368 9642600 8121124 55% /
/dev/hda1 46636 13247 30981 30% /boot
none 120016 0 120016 0% /dev/shm
192.168.2.67:/music 36875376 20895920 14106280 60% /music

Make sure that the desired mount point exists before using the mount command. When finished using the directory (perhaps for copying backups), you can use the umount command to remove the remote file system. Note that if you specify the root directory (/) as a mount point, you cannot unmount the NFS directory until you reboot (because Linux complains that the file system is in use).

Hi, Mike Nash here. In late October I announced the Beta  of Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 - beginning with a small group of Technology Adoption Program customers. This week we're opening up the beta to a broader audience. Starting today, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will have access to the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta to begin testing.   

Beginning Thursday Dec. 4^th, we will be making the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta available to everyone through a Customer Preview Program (CPP). The CPP will launch on TechNet and be available to anyone interested in trying out this service pack. The CPP is intended for technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT Pros who would like to test Service Pack 2 in their environments and with their applications prior to final release. For most customers, our best advice would be to wait until the final release prior to installing this service pack.

For those of you who choose to test this service pack, we encourage you to install the beta as soon as you can; your feedback will help us to ship a solid and stable service pack for Windows Vista.

Windows Vista SP2 builds on the solid foundation of Windows Vista SP1, and represents our ongoing commitment to Windows Vista today. Windows Vista SP2 includes all of the updates that have been delivered since the release of Windows Vista SP1, and incorporates improvements discovered through automated feedback from the Customer Experience Improvement Program (where users voluntarily opt-in to sending Microsoft error reports from their systems).  In addition to these updates, SP2 also includes support for new types of hardware and emerging standards that will grow in importance in the coming months. For specific changes in Windows Vista SP2 - see my previous post on Windows Vista SP2 or check out the notable changes document.

Your feedback from testing will help us deliver the highest quality release possible. As of today, we are tracking to ship Windows Vista SP2 in the first half of 2009.

The Remote Desktop application in Windows has a nifty little feature where you can save all of your custom settings for a specific remote computer to a single .RDP file, and then just use that .RDP file as a shortcut to connect to that remote computer instantly.

VMConnect, which is the name of the application that you use to connect to the console session of a Hyper-V Virtual Machine, doesn’t have that option. 

Curses!  What is an administrator to do!?!

Well, if your VM is running Windows, you could always Remote Desktop directly into the guest OS, but that won’t connect you directly to the console (i.e. you won’t be able to watch the VM boot).

But there’s a better way.  VMConnect allows you to specify the name of the Hyper-V server and the name of the VM you want to connect to on the command line.

So, let’s say that you have a Hyper-V Server called “MyHost” and a VM called “My Guest” that you want to connect to quickly.  All you need to do is create a shortcut that points to VMConnect.exe with the following syntax:

Remember to use quotes around the VM name if it contains spaces!  Also, if the VM exists on the same machine as the one you’re creating the shortcut on, you can use the name “localhost” for the server.

Click Next, name the shortcut whatever you want, and you’re good to go.

Here is your chance as a developer to test Microsoft’s next version of Windows!

Quote:

Breaking news!!!

Attend an upcoming MSDN Developer Conference and you will receive a Windows 7 Beta 1 DVD.

Register today and you’ll get the best of the PDC in your own backyard and hear all of the exciting announcements around the Azure Services Platform and Windows 7.

1. Experience Windows Azure
   Create applications that seamlessly bridge the gaps between PC, Web, and phone
2. Be among the first to see Windows 7
   See the latest advances in Multi-Touch Application Development
3. Take your .NET skills to the next level
   See sessions on WPF 4.0, Silverlight 2, The Future of C# and VB, ASP.NET 4.0, Live Mesh and more

The Cost? Just $99.
And, did we mention that attendees will get some cool giveaways?

Learn more here

Yesterday, some of you took notice that your account page for Windows Live has been updated with the new Windows Live look and feel. That was just the beginning! As Dharmesh Meta, Director of Windows Live Product Management (and all around good guy), explains – over the next 24 hours you will be seeing quite a bit of changes occurring across the board for Windows Live. We’re launching updated versions of Windows Live Home, Spaces, Events, and SkyDrive and launching completely new services for Windows Live such as Groups, Photos, and Profile. Essentially we’re launching “the new face of Windows Live” on the web today.

Changes you’ll see include a brand new common header across all the Windows Live web services (with themes) as well as 25GB of *free* storage in SkyDrive and more! For an overview of what’s changing – see today’s post from Dharmesh with lots of cool screenshots.

I’ll be posting later this week about the Windows Live web services after they are all officially live for everyone.