This paper is predicated on the assumption that as a network service, home directories have the following characteristics in common that differentiate them from enterprise file services:
- Home directories are typically used for smaller-scale storage of less-critical organizational—or even personal—data, and generally have less-stringent throughput requirements overall, than enterprise file services.
- End-user access to home directories is much more intermittent, with periodic short bursts of traffic from a given user followed by long periods of inactivity.
- IT service-level agreements (SLAs) for home-directory support, particularly in the area of data-restore requests, tend to be less rigorous than enterprise file services.
- Per-user storage capacity is restricted to a standard amount of storage space, with hard enforcement limits preventing users from exceeding their allotted capacity.
- Individual home directories have unique permissions settings that restrict access to the intended user. Additional access is provided for administrative support and backup-services as necessary.