Authors: Vikram Seth
Abstract: The Server Message Block (SMB) and Network File System (NFS) protocols serve as critical technologies for network file sharing in Linux environments. Both have evolved significantly, with SMB, predominantly championed by Microsoft, and NFS, natively supported in UNIX and Linux systems, each demonstrating unique strengths and use cases. With growing demand for efficient, reliable, and scalable file sharing across distributed environments, choosing the right protocol is essential for optimizing system performance. This article explores the comparative performance of SMB and NFS, examining throughput, latency, CPU usage, security integration, compatibility, and ease of configuration in Linux. Benchmarks, real-world use cases, and theoretical analysis converge to evaluate how each protocol behaves under different workloads and system configurations. The study also emphasizes tuning methods and kernel-level interactions that influence performance outcomes. Administrators often face challenges in determining the most effective protocol for specific network conditions or organizational goals. This review offers a comprehensive framework to assist in those decisions, incorporating both empirical data and architectural insights. We conclude by highlighting the contexts in which each protocol excels and offering guidance on best practices for deployment in hybrid Linux infrastructures
