NFS Version 4 is a new distributed file system based on NFS Version 3 [RFC1813]. The design of NFS Version 4 is similar to previous versions in its straightforward design, simplified error recovery, independence of transport protocols, and operating systems for file access in a heterogenous distributed network. Unlike earlier versions of NFS, the new protocol integrates file locking, strong security, operation coalescing, and performance optimizations for narrow sharing applications on high bandwidth networks. Additionally the new protocol enables secure data sharing over the internet. This paper describes the new features of the protocol, focusing on the improved locking model and support for high performance data sharing. The security model and support for internet access of data is also described. The target audience is technical developers and administrators who manage networks that use distributed file sharing.

Brian Pawlowski is an engineer at NetApp working on performance issues in distributed file systems. He is co-chair of the IETF NFS Version 4 working group.