When accessing this information, a client will choose among the available servers. Replication also reduces the load on any particular server by placing frequently accessed information on multiple servers. Management utilities to ease the load of system administrators in growing environments. AFS commands are RPC-based. Administrative commands can be issued by any authenticated administrator from any client workstation.
System databases track file locations, authentication information and access control lists.
These databases are replicated on multiple servers, and are dynamically updated as information changes. Server processes accomplish many tasks automatically, such as restarting servers, tracking file locations and updating file servers with new binaries and configuration files. A server monitoring tool graphically displays important server information, alerting the system administrator if a server reaches predetermined 'attention' levels. Other AFS tools help to create user accounts and maintain client machines. Here are some examples of how AFS has contributed to the computing environments of specific organizations.