NFS Overview

NFS (Network File System) enables different machines and operating systems to share data over a network. This allows applications on client systems to access files stored on remote servers as if they were local directories. NFS is particularly useful for Unix-like systems, providing a standardized method for disk file sharing across a network.

NFS Server Configuration on Ubuntu

Installing NFS Server

sudo apt-get install nfs-kernel-server

Configuring the NFS Export File

Edit the /etc/exports file to define which directories to share and which clients can access them:

sudo nano /etc/exports

Add an export entry with appropriaet options:

# /etc/exports format:
# shared_directory client_network(options)

# Example: Share /exports/project with the 192.168.100.0/24 network
/exports/project 192.168.100.0/24(rw,sync,no_root_squash,no_subtree_check)

# Example: Share /mnt/backup with all hosts (read-only)
/mnt/backup *(ro,sync,no_subtree_check)

Common options include:

• rw: Read-write access
• ro: Read-only access
• sync: Synchronous writes
• no_root_squash: Preserve root user privileges
• no_subtree_check: Disable subtree checking

Restarting the NFS Service

After modifying the exports file, restart the NFS server to apply changes:

sudo /etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server restart

Alternatively, you can use:

sudo systemctl restart nfs-kernel-server

Mounting NFS Shares on Clients

On the client machine, mount the shared directory using the mount command:

# Syntax: mount -t nfs server_ip:shared_directory local_mount_point
mount -t nfs 192.168.100.50:/exports/project /mnt/project

For automatic mounting on boot, add an entry to /etc/fstab:

192.168.100.50:/exports/project /mnt/project nfs defaults 0 0

Unmounting NFS Shares

When finished using the NFS share, unmount it to release resources:

umount /mnt/project

Secure File Transfer with SCP

SCP (Secure Copy) uses SSH protocol to transfer files secure between local and remote systems.

Prerequisites

Verify network connectivity and SSH access:

ping remote_server_ip
ssh username@remote_server_ip

Transferring Files from Remote to Local (Windows)

scp username@remote_server_ip:/remote/path/file.txt C:\local\directory\

For usernames containing backslashes (Windows domain accounts), escape them appropriately:

scp username@remote_server_ip:/remote/path/file.txt C:\local\directory\

Transferring Directories from Remote to Local (Windows)

scp -r username@remote_server_ip:/remote/path/directory C:\local\directory\

Transferring Files from Remote to Local (Ubuntu)

scp username@remote_server_ip:/remote/path/file.txt /local/directory/

Transferring Directories from Remote to Local (Ubuntu)

scp -r username@remote_server_ip:/remote/path/directory /local/directory/

Transferring Files from Local to Remote

scp /local/file.txt username@remote_server_ip:/remote/directory/

Transferring Directories from Local to Remote

scp -r /local/directory username@remote_server_ip:/remote/directory/

Additional SCP Options

• -P: Specify custom SSH port (default is 22)
• -i: Specify private key file for authentication
• -v: Verbose mode for debugging
• -C: Enable compression during transfer

Example with custom port:

scp -P 2222 username@remote_server_ip:/remote/path/file.txt /local/directory/