Configuring Distributed File System Access

The desktop uses NFS for sharing files between systems. You must identify all the file systems in your network that contain shared files and ensure that they are correctly mounted on all appropriate systems.

Typically, you must provide the following remote file access:

• The user's home directory must be shared by all desktop client and server systems. This is necessary because:

  • The home directory contains data files that must be accessed by applications on remote systems. For example, applications using data files frequently use the home directory as the default data file location.

  • The home directory is the default dtspcd authentication directory. For more information about the dtspcd, see "Configuring the Subprocess Control Daemon".

• If users require access to data files that are not in their home directory, these data files must be shared by all the desktop client and server systems that operate on the data files.

• The desktop installation and configuration directories (/usr/dt and /etc/dt) must be shared by all the desktop client and server systems so that all of the user's applications access the same desktop configuration files.

Providing a Networked Home Directory

A desktop network works most effectively when users have a single home directory that is shared among all client and server systems on the network.

A networked home directory enables users to use different systems in the network without losing personal customizations and configurations. This is because personal customizations and the information required to restore the previous session are saved in subdirectories of the home directory.

A common home directory is also required by:

• The default X authorization mechanism (see "Configuring X Authorization").

• The desktop subprocess control daemon. This daemon is involved in launching remote applications and must be able to write to the user's home directory.

File-Name Consistency

You should configure the network so that users can access their data files from all systems using the same name. This is known as providing file-name consistency, and is usually accomplished by creating appropriate symbolic links. For example you can configure every system so that each user's home directory is available as /users/login_name by creating a symbolic link to the actual mount location of the directory.