In computing, a distributed file system or network file system is any file system that allows access to files from multiple hosts sharing via a computer network. This makes it possible for multiple users on multiple machines to share files and storage resources.
The client nodes do not have direct access to the underlying block storage but interact over the network using a protocol. This makes it possible to restrict access to the file system depending on access lists or capabilities on both the servers and the clients, depending on how the protocol is designed.
In contrast, in a shared disk file system all nodes have equal access to the block storage where the file system is located. On these systems the access control must reside on the client.
Distributed file systems may include facilities for transparent replication and fault tolerance. That is, when a limited number of nodes in a file system go offline, the system continues to work without any data loss.
The difference between a distributed file system and a distributed data store can be vague, but DFSes are generally geared towards use on local area networks.
Read more about Distributed File System: History and Examples, Transparency, Performance, Concurrent File Updates
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