Appendix A. Using the NFS/AFS Translator

# Appendix A. Using the NFS/AFS Translator

Some cells use the Network File System (NFS) in addition to AFS. If you work on an NFS client machine, your system administrator can configure it to access the AFS filespace through a program called the NFS/AFS TranslatorTM. If you have an AFS account, you can access AFS as an authenticated user while working on your NFS client machine. Otherwise, you access AFS as the anonymous user.

### Note

Acceptable NFS/AFS Translator performance requires that NFS is functioning correctly.

## Requirements for Using the NFS/AFS Translator

For you to use the NFS/AFS Translator, your system administrator must configure the following types of machines as indicated:

- An NFS/AFS translator machine is an AFS client machine that also acts as an NFS server machine. Its Cache Manager acts as the surrogate Cache Manager for your NFS client machine. Ask your system administrator which translator machines you can use.

- Your NFS client machine must have an NFS mount to a translator machine. Most often, your system administrator mounts the translator machine's /afs directory and names the mount /afs as well. This enables you to access the entire AFS filespace using standard AFS pathnames. It is also possible to create mounts directly to subdirectories of /afs, and to give NFS mounts different names on the NFS client machine.

Your access to AFS is much more extensive if you have an AFS user account. If you do not, the AFS servers recognize you as the anonymous user and only grant you the access available to members of the system:anyuser group.

If your NFS client machine uses an operating system that AFS supports, your system administrator can configure it to enable you to issue many AFS commands on the machine. Ask him or her about the configuration and which commands you can issue.

Error Message: "afs: failed to store file" |  | Accessing AFS via the Translator