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With the AFS® and DFS TM enterprise file sharing products, the ability to share information has never been so easy. Our AFS product is designed for medium-sized businesses, large enterprises and large departments within a corporation that need a scalable, high-performance, reliable distributed file sharing system. AFS provides a simple security and administrative model for file sharing that supports broad platform coverage on UNIX and Windows. For tightly integrated enterprise applications where a standard infrastructure, such as DCE or another DCE-based application like the TXSeries TM Encina® API, Global Sign-On or SnareWorks is of interest, DFS is the ideal solution. DFS supports global enterprises and large organizations with enterprise file sharing across UNIX, Windows and OS/390 TM platforms. It also uses the industry-standard DCE security, naming and RPC for its distributed computing infrastructure.
Multiple Solutions in One AFS and DFS offer a file-sharing solution with the versatility to meet your enterprise file sharing needs — whether you're integrating existing enterprise applications within heterogeneous environments, building new enterprise applications, supporting shared work groups or conducting e-business. 
AFS and DFS let you improve productivity and collaboration between shared work groups. You can break down organizational barriers created by different platforms, physical locations and job functions to enable workers to share files securely and efficiently, regardless of where the information or the work team is located. AFS and DFS combine security, scalability, availability and Web access for your enterprise to give users the confidence that business-critical information is not only accessible, but also accurate, up-to-date and protected from unauthorized access. And with AFS and DFS, you can equip your workforce with the distributed file sharing capabilities to maximize productivity, reduce time-to-market and reduce overall costs whether in a networked or Web-enabled systems environment. You can extend your business applications beyond the enterprise to conduct e-business, allowing customers and suppliers to interact directly with your business processes and information via the Web. AFS and DFS provide your enterprise with the critical security, reliability and scalability that lets you offer outside users the level of service they need while protecting your critical business data assets. The Infinite Workspace The AFS and DFS enterprise file system products support the premise that people are mobile, so information needs to be, too. Whether you're working from a desktop in your home or a branch office halfway around the world, you need quick and easy access to information to be productive. The way you retrieve this information should be the same from any location. And whether you're working with a colleague in another building or another city, collaboration is more effective when both of you share an identical set of files. These enterprise file systems establish a single, shared file space for all authorized users from all possible locations. Your file sharing domain is no longer defined by specific organizations, locations or even machines. As a user, you are consistently presented with an infinite workspace made up of all the information in the enterprise file system. Files arrive on your desktop — or any desktop — by way of standard office applications. In essence, your workspace becomes the enterprise. 
File Sharing You Can Count On The first step in successful file sharing is building the foundation that delivers information to you no matter where you are. AFS and DFS ensure that information remains available to you at all times, arrives on your desk quickly and is protected from unauthorized access. To avoid lost productivity when a temporary failure occurs within a system, AFS and DFS replicate important information on multiple machines. These file systems automatically locate a replica of the information and re-establish the link. They also enable system administrators to perform all system maintenance and any reconfiguration while information remains online and accessible, so your users never have to go without access to the information they need. The AFS and DFS enterprise file systems use a number of techniques to optimize your system's performance. For example, the load on your file servers and network is controlled via a powerful caching mechanism to avoid system overload, even in large, information-intense systems. In many cases, your most commonly accessed files are retrieved directly from your local desktop machine with guarantees that information is always up-to-date. Frequently accessed files are cached and can be replicated on a number of file servers to distribute information requests and prevent system bottlenecks. 
Along with enterprise-wide file sharing comes the need to regulate access to information. AFS and DFS offer rigorous Kerberos security mechanisms for protecting information from unauthorized users. Within an organization, users can assign privileges for accessing and changing information according to users and groups of users, with the flexibility to easily change privileges, redefine groups and establish new groups to support specific collaborative projects. A Manageable Domain AFS and DFS are manageable file systems, designed to scale without placing an undue burden on overworked system administrators. 
Widespread client and server machines are maintained from any point within the system, allowing a smaller number of administrators to manage a larger number of machines. With one simple command, administrators have the flexibility to easily move files around to re-adjust load, perform routine backups and add resources without making any other adjustments to the system or disrupting service to users. AFS and DFS give administrators a bird's eye view of the entire system through a sophisticated system monitoring tool which carefully checks system loads and alerts administrators to potential danger zones. As the number of machines and users in your system grows, the system administrative resources needed to maintain your system are contained — and so are your costs. Think Globally 
Take the first step toward an enterprise-wide, high-performance information system by contacting us about our AFS and DFS enterprise file system products. We'll look at your specific requirements for file sharing, and your current and future computing environments. Then we'll work with you to make information sharing your most effective business facilitator to give you the competitive edge you need in today's global marketplace. AFS and DFS: The power behind your information sharing.
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