From the standpoint of someone familiar with standard UNIX file systems or NFS, the main differences are the new file permissions and authentication system. Other protocols tend to be impractical for serving large numbers of workstations. The AFS server authenticates users, not machines. Windows 95 machines outfitted with PC-Leland . AFS allows greater control over the access to one's files.
Individuals can selectively grant file access privileges to individuals or user-created groups.
This is ideal for group projects. AFS has limited provisions for users to recover their own files. Some of the major goals of the system are minimizing the burdens of system administration and providing a common basic level of service to all UNIX users at Stanford. For a longer but simpler explanation of kerberos, take a look at our main Kerberos page . Basically, Kerberos is an authentication service between machines on an open network.