Server Message Block: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:56, 10 April 2023

Revision as of 17:46, 30 April 2023

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Server Message Block (SMB) enables [[file sharing]], [[Print server|printer sharing]], network browsing, and [[inter-process communication]] (through [[Named pipe|named pipes]]) over a [[computer network]]. SMB serves as the basis for Microsoft's [[Distributed File System (Microsoft)|Distributed File System]] implementation.

SMB relies on the [[Transmission Control Protocol|TCP]] and [[Internet Protocol|IP]] protocols for transport. This combination potentially allows file sharing over [[Internetworking|complex, interconnected networks]], including the public Internet. The SMB [[Client–server model|server component]] uses [[Transmission Control Protocol|TCP]] [[Port (computer networking)|port]] 445. SMB originally operated on [[NetBIOS]] over [[IEEE 802.2]] - [[NetBIOS Frames]] or NBF - and over [[IPX/SPX]], and later on [[NetBIOS over TCP/IP]] (NetBT), but Microsoft has since [[deprecated]] these protocols. On NetBT, the server component uses three TCP or [[User Datagram Protocol|UDP]] ports: 137 (NETBIOS Name Service), 138 (NETBIOS Datagram Service), and 139 (NETBIOS Session Service).

In Microsoft Windows, two vaguely named [[Windows service]]s implement SMB. The "Server" service (ID: <code>LanmanServer</code>) is in charge of serving [[shared resource]]s. The "Workstation" service (ID: <code>LanmanWorkstation</code>) maintains the computer name and helps access shared resources on other computers.<ref name=":0" /> SMB uses the [[Kerberos (protocol)|Kerberos]] protocol to authenticate users against [[Active Directory]] on [[Windows ___domain]] networks. On simpler, peer-to-peer networks, SMB uses the [[NTLM]] protocol.