What protocol is commonly used to share folders in a network environment?

The Network File System (NFS) is a protocol specifically designed for sharing files over a network, allowing users to access and manage files on remote computers as if they were local. It operates primarily within UNIX and Linux environments, facilitating efficient sharing of file systems and folders across different machines. NFS allows multiple clients to access and interact with files over a network seamlessly, which makes it an ideal choice for shared folder configurations.

While other protocols listed have specific uses, they do not focus primarily on folder sharing in the way NFS does. For example, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is typically used for transferring files between a client and a server but is not optimized for network file sharing. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is mainly used for web traffic and does not facilitate folder sharing per se, nor is it designed for file system interactions. SSH (Secure Shell) is primarily a protocol for secure remote login and command execution on remote systems, rather than for sharing files or folders. Thus, NFS stands out as the appropriate protocol for sharing folders in a network environment.