Sun and IETF to make NFS standard

Sun Microsystems has further loosened its grip on its Network File System (NFS) protocol which the Internet Engineering Taskforce (IETF) is turning into an industry standard.

Sun Microsystems has further loosened its grip on its Network File System (NFS) protocol which the Internet Engineering Taskforce (IETF) is turning into an industry standard.

Sun is releasing the source code for a key component of the protocol and has doubled the funding it received last year for an independent development of a Linux implementation.

The component, called the transport independent remote procedure call, will be available free to developers at Sun's web site.

Sun officials would not comment on when the IETF will ratify NFS as a standard Internet protocol, but Tom Goguen, a group marketing manager at Sun's Solaris group, said part of the process involves the success of a third party developing its own version of the protocol.

As part of Sun's bid to make NFS standard, the company will hand over copyright of the protocol to the IETF, added Goguen.

Analysts at Zona Research applauded Sun's move. A representative said: "It will give the Linux community an important boost with a rock-solid piece of infrastructure code."