Requirements for Federated File Systems

This draft describes and lists the functional requirements of a federated file system and defines related terms. Our intent is to use this draft as a starting point and refine it, with input and feedback from the file system community and other interested parties, until we reach general agreement. We will then begin, again with the help of any interested parties, to define standard, open federated file system protocols that satisfy these requirements and are suitable for implementation and deployment.