Server Message Block

SMB is a protocol for sharing files and printers. It originated at IBM for use with their IBM PC network. It was used by IBM PC Network program for IBM DOS. It used NetBIOS / NetBIOS frames (NetBIOS over 802.2) as transport, but it is quite transport agnostic, can use any stream-based transport. It was adopted and extended by Microsoft for Windows for Workgroups. Different versions called SMB or CIFS by Microsoft. Later IPX/SPX and TCP/IP were supported as transport for SMB (note that NetBIOS can also use TCP/IP as transport).

• ​IBM Personal Computer Seminar Proceedings documents IBM PC Network Program
• ​MS-CIFS Common Internet File System Protocols