Secure NFS on HP-UX 11i v3

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I. Introduction
Network File System (NFS) has long been an industry standard method of sharing filesystem data on
a network. The proliferation of NFS to all major operating systems and computer architectures as well
as its recent standardization by the IETF make NFS a very popular solution for distributing filesystem
information. However, one of the biggest concerns about using NFS in today’s security conscious
environments is the perceived lack of robust security features.
Customers have asked for the ability to use enhanced authentication mechanisms, such as Kerberos,
to verify user identity before granting access to sensitive data. They want to know their data is safe
on their networks and has not been tampered with between sending and receiving systems. In
environments were data security is critical, customers want the ability to encrypt data before it is sent
across their networks to guard against anyone collecting sensitive data by examining NFS packets.
HP introduced Secure NFS in HP-UX 11i v3 to address these concerns. Secure NFS allows customers
to implement different security mechanisms on NFS filesystems, ranging from enhanced user
authentication to full data encryption. This paper will describe the various security features of Secure
NFS and act as a practical hands-on guide to configuring Secure NFS on HP-UX 11i v3 systems.