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How does a service enter AFS?

A provider implements resource operations; a mount places that provider in a namespace.

  1. Mounted pathroutes to
  2. Provideradapts operations to
  3. Resource implementation
Relationship sketch · arrows show responsibilities and connections, not a complete protocol sequence.

A local directory and a remote service have different implementations. AFS does not erase that difference. A provider translates supported operations into the work required by its resource. A mount supplies the point where that resource becomes reachable.

This separates two questions: where can a task find something, and how does the resource actually work? Replacing an implementation is easier when its address and operation contract remain compatible.

Compatibility still takes work. A provider may be read-only, may not support watching, or may expose executable actions. Consumers must honor the capabilities actually available.

Connect a report directory

Suppose an application mounts a report service at the illustrative location /reports. When a task reads /reports/weekly, AFS routes through the mount to the Provider responsible for those resources. The Provider translates the read into the request supported by the report service.

The mount establishes the entry point; the Provider implements access. The service could later use different storage without changing consumers, provided the entry point, returned content and operation effects remain compatible. If it starts returning only a summary instead of the full report, an unchanged path alone does not preserve the read contract.

Check your understanding

What different questions do the mount and Provider answer?

The mount says where the resources are reached; the Provider implements supported operations against those resources.

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