This document describes the file and print sharing protocol for a proposed Common Internet File System (CIFS). CIFS is intended to provide an open cross-platform mechanism for client systems to request file and print services from server systems over a network. It is based on the standard Server Message Block (SMB) protocol widely in use by personal computers and workstations running a wide variety of operating systems. An earlier version of this protocol was documented as part of the X/OPEN (now Open Group) CAE series of standards [7]; this document updates the specification to include the latest shipping versions, and is published to allow the creation of implementations that interoperate with those implementations.
Use of the Internet and the World Wide Web has been characterized by read-only access. Existing protocols such as FTP are good solutions for one-way file transfer. However, new read/write interfaces will become increasingly necessary as the Internet becomes more interactive and collaborative. Adoption of a common file sharing protocol having modern semantics such as shared files, byte-range locking, coherent caching, change notification, replicated storage, etc. would provide important benefits to the Internet community.