RFC 2055 (rfc2055) - Page 1 of 10
WebNFS Server Specification
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group B. Callaghan
Request for Comments: 2055 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Category: Informational October 1996
WebNFS Server Specification
Status of this Memo
This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo
does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of
this memo is unlimited.
Abstract
This document describes the specifications for a server of WebNFS
clients. WebNFS extends the semantics of versions 2 and 3 of the NFS
protocols to allow clients to obtain filehandles more easily, without
recourse to the portmap or MOUNT protocols. In removing the need for
these protocols, WebNFS clients see benefits in faster response to
requests, easy transit of firewalls and better server scalability
This description is provided to facilitate compatible implementations
of WebNFS servers.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. TCP vs UDP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3. Well-known Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
4. Server Port Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
5. Public Filehandle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
5.1 Version 2 Public Filehandle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
5.2 Version 3 Public Filehandle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6. Multi-component Lookup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6.1 Canonical Path vs. Native Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6.2 Symbolic Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
6.3 Export Spanning Pathnames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7. Location of Public Filehandle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
8. Index Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
9. Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
10. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
11. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
12. Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Callaghan Informational