The Andrew File System (AFS) is a distributed network file system that enables files from any AFS machine across the country to be accessed as easily as files stored locally. It is an enterprise file system designed for use in a distributed environment on multiple computing platforms. AFS allows users on various types of computers to access the same file system. To a casual UNIX user, AFS disk space looks like a regular local disk; to Windows and Mac OS X users, it looks like a normal network drive. So with a single namespace and Kerberos authentication, AFS allows a user to log into any machine participating in the DCI and be presented their files and/or applications.
             AFS is composed of cells, with each cell representing an independently administered portion of file space. Cells are composed of two types of machines: fileserver and client. Fileservers are machines that typically store and control the files. A client machine accesses the files. Cells connect to form one enormous UNIX file system under the rootafs directory. PSC organizes and maintains the disk space associated with the cell psc.edu.
             One can access your PSC AFS space from most of PSC's machines, and can also make your directories accessible to users from any other AFS machine at any remote site.
             Like any network application, AFS has two components, a client and a server. The client component resides on each machine that wants to use AFS. This client asks the server for files stored in AFS and the server sends the file to the client over the network. The client then presents the file to the user as if it were local to the machine. When the user makes any changes in AFS space, such as creating a new file, saving a file or deleting files, the client sends the information to the server where updates occur. AFS speeds this process up by using disk caching. The AFS client keeps pieces of commonly used files on local disk. When the user asks the AFS client
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