Genera 8.1, NFS & my confusion

[delaney@xn.ll.mit.edu (John R. Delaney)]

Our UNIX boxes are set up to mount file system on each other's disk in a
most promiscous fashion. Then soft links are used to paper over the
distinctions as to which files are actually on what machine's disks.
Either clever or diabolical. I don't know enough about UNIX and NFS to
be sure which.

With the advent of Genera 8.1, our Symbolic machines can now use NFS to
access the UNIX machine file systems (which they used to to via TCP) and
their file systems can be woven into our fabric of file systems. But
wait! We have a problem. Certain pathnames no longer work. If the user
tries to read file F from host H and the file is in a file system on one
of H's own disks, all is well. If the file is actually on host H' in a
filesystem H mounts, there is no problem with TCP. But using NFS, one
gets an exception stating "No NFS mount could be made on host H ...
Too many levels of remote in path for H:F".

I have rummaged through the relevant 8.1 manual (Bundled Products) and
noticed something about AUTOMOUNT properties in the namespace. Is my
only problem that I need those?

I case you hadn't figured it out by now, I am pretty ignorant where NFS
and UNIX are concerned. So the above could be hopelessly garbled. Any
and all help will be appreciated.

john