AFS is still under development. From a user standpoint, the main differences are the new file permissions and authentication system. NFS is impractical for large numbers of work stations. The AFS server authenticates users, not machines. This allows people with an AFS account to access their files from any machine on campus that mounts the AFS filing system, including the workstations at Terman and in the cluster residences.
Individuals can selectively grant file access privileges to individuals or user-created groups.
This is ideal for group projects. 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. Kerberos is an authentication service between machines on an open network. AFS is one of many services that uses kerberos for its authentication system. Kerberos provides user authentication for certain restricted services, such as printing, computer, and modem access.