Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!terra!brent From: brent%terra@Sun.COM (Brent Callaghan) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: //host vs "mount point" Message-ID: <35000@sun.uucp> Date: Mon, 30-Nov-87 02:22:32 EST Article-I.D.: sun.35000 Posted: Mon Nov 30 02:22:32 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 2-Dec-87 23:14:47 EST References: <648@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <1668@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <9559@mimsy.UUCP> Sender: news@sun.uucp Lines: 29 Summary: Why just hosts ? In article <9559@mimsy.UUCP>, chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) writes: > Whether you wish to implement `ls /n' is another matter entirely, > but this seems somehow more reasonable if your network switch point > is `just another directory'. Another good reason for "just another directory" is that it leaves open the possibility of having nodes other than host names under the directory. Consider the following: /host/- file systems on other hosts /home/ - users home directories /src/ - other source trees There's not always a need to know the host on which a file resides. There are good reasons for hiding this information e.g. because you don't know the disk partition a file is in the administrator can relocate disk partitions freely. Similarly a /home directory allows a user to move to another host and have his/her home directory mounted automatically. This scheme is perfectly feasible through the use of a user-level NFS server that can catch file references on the fly and do mounts transparently. The name to host:directory mapping can be established through the use of a local or globally accessible table. Made in New Zealand --> Brent Callaghan @ Sun Microsystems uucp: sun!bcallaghan phone: (415) 691 6188