The IBM i is an extremely reliable system that is an excellent resource for your company's most crucial information. Many PC-centric applications use critical files that may be stored locally on the client's hard drive. When proper backups are neglected and the client's hard drive fails, you may be left with disastrous results. What better way to provide the most reliable support, backup, and accessibility than to store files on and access files from the IBM i? IBM supports this capability with the IFS in collaboration with NetServer.
 
The IFS is the IBM i's directory structure. NetServer provides access to the IFS from a PC or a Mac without the need for additional software to be installed on the client PC. If the client is going to perform administration on shares, the System i Navigator must be installed. Starting with V5R2, NetServer has integrated support for the Samba client on Linux. There are also PTFs available for V5R1.