(NFS) A protocol developed by Sun Microsystems, and defined in RFC 1094, which allows a computer to access files over a network as if they were on its local disks. This protocol has been incorporated in products by more than two hundred companies, and is now a {de facto} standard. NFS is implemented using a {connectionless protocol} ({UDP}) in order to make it {stateless}. See Nightmare File System, WebNFS. (1994-12-12)