Chapter 5. Client Mounting of File Systems
The mount command places the remote file system over a local directory on an
NFS client. After exporting, mounting a file system is the second major step in
setting up a “transparent” relationship between client and server.
Mounting allows clients to actually make use of the various file systems that the
server has exported. Clients can use the mount command to map an exported file
system over all or just part of a local file system. This action occurs so seamlessly
that local applications will probably not distinguish between file systems mounted
from a remote server and file systems existing locally. Multiple clients can mount
and work with a single or multiple file systems at the same time.
Once file systems have been exported from a remote server, clients can then mount
these accessible file systems and make them a part of their local namespace.
Clients can dynamically mount and unmount all or part of exported server file
systems. Once a client has mounted a file system onto its own local namespace,
any local file system information below the mount point will be “covered up.” This
renders the “covered” or “hidden” file system inaccessible until the remote file
system is unmounted.

What Is Mounting?

Mounting is a client-side operation that gives the local client access to remote
server file systems. The mount command does not copy the file systems over to the
client. Rather, it makes the remote file systems appear as if they physically exist on
the client. In reality, the file systems exist only on the server and the client is only
accessing them. The interface, however, is designed to give the impression that the
mounted file systems are local. In most cases, neither applications nor users can
tell the difference.
Figure 30.A local client and remote server with exported file systems
© Copyright IBM Corp. 1997, 1999 39