PRIMECLUSTER Global File Services Configuration and Administration Guide 4.2 (Solaris(TM) Operating Environment)

1.2 Features of the GFS Local File System

This section describes the features of the GFS Local File System. For details, see "Part 2 Global File Services Local File System" of this manual.

The GFS Local File System is used to extend the UFS (a typical UNIX file system) and to improve availability and performance. The major functions of the GFS Local File System are:

• Single file system can use multiple partitions (slices) as a file data area.
• High-speed file system recovery (equivalent function to UFS logging)
• Contiguous block allocation by using extent-based data space management
• Dynamic file system size expansion
• Meta-data reallocation when an error occurred in the disk block
• Setting the extent attribute information to the file
• De-fragmentation function

The GFS Local File System is available for high-speed consistency recovery after a system failure, so that file systems can be switchover if a system fails on one side of a standby configuration.

Also, online data area expansion and the de-fragmentation function can be used without stopping the job.

The GFS Local File System is used on a specific node only, or switchover file system among two or more nodes.

Use the RMS when the local file system is used as a switchover file system. For details, see Chapter 10, "Using GFS Local File System in RMS cluster Operation" of this manual.

The GFS Local File System cannot be used as simultaneously directly shared file system among from multiple Solaris OE. For this purpose, use the GFS Shared File System.