Server Message Block Protocol (SMB Protocol)

Server Message Block Protocol is predominately a Microsoft Windows protocol that allows for the sharing of folders, printers and serial ports within a given network. The current version is SMBv2 which was deployed with Windows Vista, and has since undergone more changes under Windows 7.

Server Message Block is a networking protocol that was originally developed by IBM. Microsoft improved on the protocol in the 1990s, and it now gives Windows-based networks the ability to create, modify and delete shared folders, printers and serial ports.

SMB is an application layer protocol, and in a typical deployment, it communicates via TCP port 445. SMB quickly grew in popularity as it allows for much more flexibility when compared to comparable protocols such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

Within Linux environments, a program known as Samba allows Linux systems to interface with the SMB protocol.

Common Internet File System (CIFS) is the open-source version of SMB.