server message block

Server Message Block

   <protocol> (SMB) A {client/server} {protocol} that provides
   file and printer sharing between computers.  In addition SMB
   can share {serial ports} and communications abstractions such
   as {named pipes} and {mail slots}.  SMB is similar to {remote
   procedure call} (RPC) specialised for file system access.

   SMB was developed by {Intel}, {Microsoft}, and {IBM} in the
   early 1980s.  It has also had input from {Xerox} and {3Com}.
   It is the native method of file and print sharing for
   Microsoft {operating systems}; where it is called {Microsoft
   Networking}.  {Windows for Workgroups}, {Windows 95}, and
   {Windows NT} all include SMB clients and servers.  SMB is also
   used by {OS/2}, {Lan Manager} and {Banyan} {Vines}.  There are
   SMB servers and clients for {Unix}, for example {Samba} and
   {smbclient}.

   SMB is a {presentation layer} protocol structured as a large
   set of commands (Server Message Blocks).  There are commands
   to support file sharing, printer sharing, {user
   authentication}, resource browsing, and other miscellaneous
   functions.  As clients and servers may implement different
   versions ("dialects") of the protocol they negotiate before
   starting a session.

   The {redirector} packages SMB requests into a {network control
   block} (NBC) structure that can be sent across the network to
   a remote device.

   SMB originally ran on top of the lower level protocols
   {NetBEUI} and {NetBIOS}, but now typically runs over {TCP/IP}.

   Microsoft have developed an extended version of SMB for the
   {Internet}, the {Common Internet File System} (CIFS), which in
   most cases replaces SMB.  {CIFS} runs only runs over TCP/IP.

   Just what is SMB?
   (http://samba.anu.edu.au/cifs/docs/what-is-smb.html).

   IBM protocols
   (http://protocols.com/pbook/ibm.htm).

   Microsoft SMB/CIFS documents
   (ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/developr/drg/CIFS/).

   (1999-08-08)