Samba allows Linux and UNIX to serve and share files on Windows networks, using Microsoft’s SMB (Server Message Block) protocol. The SMB protocol is derived from NetBIOS, which began as a joint project between Microsoft and IBM. NetBIOS made use of a non-routable protocol, NetBEUI, for small computer networks, and allowed early PCs to talk to one another. Subsequently, NetBIOS was implemented over TCP/IP and became Microsoft’s standard protocol, later known as CIFS (the Common Internet File System). SMB/ CIFS has become the standard implementation within enterprises to allow communication on PC networks running Microsoft systems.
