AFS for the users of ENEAGRID/CRESCO System


The geographic distributed file system AFS, in its opensource implementation OpenAFS, is one of the main component of ENEAGRID/CRESCO infrastructure.


OpenAFS is used for the user HOMEs but also for project related storage area.

Users can manage their projects by using WARC utility (the  utility can be accessed only inside ENEA intranet).

Information about WARC: "FAQ of the WARC ProjectAdministrator in ENEAGRID"



OpenAFS client installation and configuration with Kerberos 5


In AFS the authentication is based on Kerberos protocol. A user can operate if he owns a "Kerberos Ticket" proving his identity. The ticket is created by the Kerberos client by contacting the Kerberos servers (Key Distribution Center - KDC) when the user provides the proper combination of userid/password.

ENEAGRID has several KDC distributed between its sites. Historically AFS has used the Kerberos 4 implementation as a native part of its software package but it has been superseeded by the more robust Kerberos 5, in production in ENEAGRID since 2011.

If a user wants to install OpenAFS on his workstation he must also install Kerberos 5 and configurate properly for his operating system. Instructions are provided for Windows, Linux and Mac.
Detailed instructions for OpenAFS/Kerberos installation and configuration:




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