Integrating Networked Storage into Desktop Environments

[MankyD]

Howdy everybody. I have a pretty fundamental question that I don't know how to start on. I've been toying for awhile with the idea of setting up a NAS of some sort so that I can have centralized storage of data files (both user and, perhaps, some server.) Presently, I am looking at a small number of Linux desktops that would use this (maybe 3 or so.)

I guess what I am really looking for is something like roaming profiles. I'd love it if I could see the same or similar desktop environment and file structure no matter which desktop I logged into. At face value, I would think to myself: just mount a NFS or Samba share at /home. Is this safe and doable? If so, how?

Similarly, what about the contents of /var and/or other data directories. What parts of a system can be handled as remote storage.

Ideally, not only would this work as a roaming profile system, but also as a centralized backup and archiving system. It would seem much easier to have one NAS handling backup of important data files in one location rather than worry about setting up scripts, clients, and permissions on each desktop individually. Am I off-base here?

Lastly, I've looked into setting up a domain of some sort to authenticate users against, but I've had little luck. Anyone know of good resources for that? That's probably a whole other discussion, but it seems related, so I figured I'd throw it out there.

I know these aren't simple questions, per se, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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[TemplarKnight]