What is Server Message Block Protocol (SMB Protocol)?
The Server Message Block Protocol is predominantly a Microsoft Windows protocol that enables folders, printers and serial ports to be shared on a network. The current version is SMBv2, which was provided with Windows Vista and has seen more changes since then on Windows 7.
Server Message Block is a network protocol originally developed by IBM. Microsoft improved the protocol in the 1990s and now enables Windows-based networks to create, modify, and delete shared folders, printers, and serial ports.
SMB is an application layer protocol, and in a typical deployment it communicates over TCP port 445. SMB quickly gained popularity because it allows much more flexibility than comparable protocols such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
In Linux environments, a program known as Samba enables Linux systems to connect using the SMB protocol.
Common Internet File System (CIFS) is the open source version of SMB.
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