Netware File System (NWFS), is a file system, based on a modified version of FAT, used by Novell's Netware Operating system. It is the default/only file system for all volumes in versions 2.x through 4.x, and the default/only file system for the SYS volume continuing through version 5.x. There were two varieties: 16-bit NWFS 286, used in Netware 2.x; and 32-bit NWFS 386, used in Netware 3.x through Netware 6.x. It was superceded by the release of NSS in 1998.
The published specifications for NWFS are:
- Maximum file size: 4GB
- Maximum volume size: 1TB
- Maximum files per volume: ?
- Maximum files per server: 16 million
- Maximum directory entries: 16 million
- Maximum volumes per server: 64
- Maximum volumes per partition: 8
- Maximum open files per server: 100,000
- Maximum directory tree depth: 100 levels
- Characters used: ASCII double-byte
- Maximum extended attributes: 16
- Maximum data streams: 10
- Support for different name spaces: Microsoft Windows Long names, Unix, Apple Macintosh
Note: Every name space which is loaded takes up the same amount of directory entries, so while the maximum directory entries is 16,000,000, that is only with 1 name space loaded. Two name spaces reduce the usable directory entries to 8,000,000 (8,000,000 per name space). Three name spaces loaded reduce the maximum directory entries to 5,333,333 (5,333,333 per name space).