# Release Notes

# Introduction

## Overview

AFS(R) is a distributed file system that provides secure, reliable access to information across an enterprise. By seamlessly uniting the directories and files on individual file server machines into one file system accessible from any desktop, AFS presents users with a single filespace independent of machine boundaries.

AFS offers several advantages. It improves the availability of files by employing client-side caching and replication of frequently accessed data across multiple file servers. AFS provides powerful security to protect the information stored in the filespace. In addition, AFS is highly scalable. Virtually unlimited additional server and client machines can be added as needed to an AFS configuration with little impact on existing server and client machines. This enables the file system to grow with the enterprise.

AFS for Windows includes the following products:

- AFS Server

  The AFS Server runs AFS server processes on a Windows NT(R) machine. An AFS Server on a Windows NT machine can be configured as one or more of the following: an AFS File Server, an AFS Database Server, an AFS Backup Server, and an AFS System Control Server. The AFS Server includes the AFS Server Configuration Wizard to facilitate setup.

- AFS Control Center

  The AFS Control Center includes two powerful graphical user interface (GUI) tools to assist AFS system administrators in AFS cell administration: the AFS Server Manager, a tool that facilitates the administration of volumes and services on one or more AFS servers (on Windows NT and UNIX systems), and the AFS Account Manager, a tool that enables simple creation and maintenance of AFS user and group accounts.

- AFS Client

  The AFS Client provides direct access to the AFS filespace from a PC running Windows NT, enabling users to manage files and directories in AFS.

- AFS Light

  AFS Light provides access to the AFS filespace from a PC running Windows 98 or Windows 95 by forwarding AFS requests to another PC on which the AFS Client is installed.

## About the Release Notes

This document contains important information about AFS for Windows, version 3.6. This document summarizes the installation prerequisites, product notes, and specific limitations and restrictions of this release.

Note: | AFS for Windows users can view the README.txt file to check for any additional AFS for Windows information that became available since the writing of this document. The README.txt file is installed in the AFS for Windows Installation\documentation directory when AFS for Windows is installed.

### Audience

This document is written for system administrators responsible for the installation, configuration, and use of the products included in AFS for Windows. This document assumes that readers are familiar with system administration in general and with the use of AFS.

### Document Organization

The document has the following organization:

- AFS Client Release Notes provides release information for the AFS Client, version 3.6.

- AFS Light Release Notes provides release information for AFS Light, version 3.6.

- AFS Server Release Notes provides release information for the AFS Server, version 3.6.

- AFS Control Center Release Notes provides release information for the AFS Control Center, version 3.6.

Each section describes installation requirements, product notes, and limitations and restrictions for the specified AFS for Windows component. Also, where applicable, descriptions of new features and enhancements that are made available in this release of AFS for Windows are included.

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