Characteristics of files in NFS environments

As local area networks of workstations and file servers grow, the management of user and system files becomes increasingly more challenging for system administrators. In order to develop effective management tools for these administrators, the nature of files in workstation environments must be understood. This paper presents a static analysis of file usage patterns of a typical workstation environment using a standard client-server paradigm (NFS). The data reveals some differences in characteristics for files in networked environments compared with files in timesharing systems. The study also suggests what data and techniques might be appropriate as a basis for a management tool for network administrators. The paper concludes with a recommendation for the construction of a real-time management and data gathering tool that may give early-warnings of server overload or may be useful in exploring trade-offs among file allocation strategies.