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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>
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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