File Servers
Introducing major server software and middleware in the File Servers category.
| No | Name | Description | Trend | Difficulty | Ecosystem | Official Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samba | File server implementing Windows SMB/CIFS protocol on Linux/UNIX. Provides Active Directory integration, printer sharing, and domain controller functionality. | Standard for Windows file sharing in Linux environments. Version 4 fully implements Active Directory Domain Controller functionality. Continued demand in hybrid environments. | intermediate | growing | Official |
| 2 | Network File System (NFS) | Distributed file system protocol. Mounts remote file systems over network. Standard for file sharing in UNIX/Linux environments. | Veteran file sharing protocol in UNIX/Linux environments. NFSv4 improves security and performance. Also utilized for volume sharing in container environments. | intermediate | growing | Official |
| 3 | FTP Server | File Transfer Protocol server. Basic protocol for file transmission over internet. Various implementations exist (vsftpd, ProFTPD, Pure-FTPd, etc.). | Basic protocol since internet dawn. Trending toward SFTP and HTTPS for security, but continues to be used in legacy systems and specific applications. | intermediate | growing | Official |
| 4 | SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) | Secure file transfer protocol running over SSH. Provides encrypted communication, authentication, and file system operation capabilities. Secure alternative to FTP. | Standard for secure file transfer. Migration from FTP progressing, important as automation tool in DevOps and CI/CD pipelines. Enhanced security through SSH integration. | intermediate | growing | Official |
| 5 | Amazon S3 | Scalable object storage service. Provides 99.999999999% (11 9's) durability, unlimited capacity, and rich security and management features. | De facto standard for cloud storage. 30% annual data growth rate, overwhelming share in big data, backup, and static website hosting. | intermediate | growing | Official |
| 6 | MinIO | High-performance object storage server. Amazon S3-compatible API, cloud-native design, Kubernetes support. Solution for private cloud environments. | Leading choice for S3-compatible object storage. Expanding adoption in AI/ML, data lakes, and edge computing. Popular for on-premises and hybrid cloud. | intermediate | growing | Official |