6.2.2.2. Home Directories

Another issue facing system administrators is whether or not users should have centrally-stored home directories.

The primary advantage of centralizing home directories on a network-attached server is that if a user logs into any machine on the network, they will be able to access the files in their home directory.

The disadvantage is that if the network goes down, users across the entire organization will be unable to get to their files. In some situations (such as organizations that make widespread use of laptops), having centralized home directories may not be desirable. But if it makes sense for your organization, deploying centralized home directories can make a system administrator's life much easier.