The GFS Shared File System allows simultaneous access to it from multiple Linux systems in an integrated manner. (A file system of this type is referred to as a shared file system. A file system such as ext3 that will be used only within a node is referred to as a local file system.)
With GFS Shared File System commercial systems can enjoy high reliability and high performance without changing applications code due to Application Program Interface (API) compatibility with ext2/ext3.
The GFS Shared File System maintains data consistency even if file data is updated from multiple nodes. So, applications on different nodes can deliver application data without changing applications code.
It is suitable for demands for high-availability in file systems due to non-disruptive file operation on another node even if one node fails.
The GFS Shared File System has the following functions:
Simultaneous shared access from multiple nodes to files or file systems
Maintaining consistency for file data referenced or updated from multiple nodes
File access using a file cache on each node
Continuous file operation on other nodes if one node fails while maintaining file system consistency
High-speed file system recovery function
High-speed I/O processing by contiguous block assignment to areas in a file
Support of multi-partition to implement I/O processing load distribution
Support of multi-partition to implement the extension of file system size without rebuilding file system
GUI-based file system operation using a Web browser
Like the ext2/ext3 file system, the following application interface is commonly available:
See
For the functions that are unavailable with the GFS Shared File System, see "1.8.2 Unavailable functions."
