| Linus Torvalds | 1da177e | 2005-04-16 15:20:36 -0700 | [diff] [blame] | 1 | Network Block Device (TCP version) |
| 2 | |
| 3 | What is it: With this compiled in the kernel (or as a module), Linux |
| 4 | can use a remote server as one of its block devices. So every time |
| 5 | the client computer wants to read, e.g., /dev/nb0, it sends a |
| 6 | request over TCP to the server, which will reply with the data read. |
| Wouter Verhelst | 5e4b269 | 2013-02-27 17:05:27 -0800 | [diff] [blame^] | 7 | This can be used for stations with low disk space (or even diskless) |
| 8 | to borrow disk space from another computer. |
| 9 | Unlike NFS, it is possible to put any filesystem on it, etc. |
| 10 | |
| Linus Torvalds | 1da177e | 2005-04-16 15:20:36 -0700 | [diff] [blame] | 11 | For more information, or to download the nbd-client and nbd-server |
| 12 | tools, go to http://nbd.sf.net/. |
| 13 | |
| Linus Torvalds | 1da177e | 2005-04-16 15:20:36 -0700 | [diff] [blame] | 14 | The nbd kernel module need only be installed on the client |
| 15 | system, as the nbd-server is completely in userspace. In fact, |
| 16 | the nbd-server has been successfully ported to other operating |
| 17 | systems, including Windows. |