CXFS

Infobox Filesystem
name = CXFS
full_name = CXFS
developer = Silicon Graphics Inc.
introduction_os = IRIX v5.3
introduction_date = 1994
partition_id =
directory_struct = B+ trees
file_struct = extent based
bad_blocks_struct =
max_filename_size = 255 bytes
max_files_no =
max_volume_size = 17 exabytes | max_file_size = 8.5 exabytes
filename_character_set = All bytes except NUL
dates_recorded = Yes
date_range =
forks_streams = Yes (called extended attributes)
attributes =
file_system_permissions = Yes
compression = No
encryption = No (provided at the block device level)
OS = Server: IRIX, Linux, Clients: IRIX, Solaris, Linux, Mac OS X, AIX, WindowsThe CXFS file system (Clustered XFS) is a commercial distributed networked file system designed by Silicon Graphics (SGI) specifically to be used in a Storage area network (SAN) environment.

A significant difference between CXFS and other distributed file systems is that data and metadata are managed separately from each other. CXFS provides direct access to data via the SAN for all hosts which will act as clients. This means that a client is able to access file data via the fiber connection to the SAN, rather than over an Ethernet network (as is the case in most other distributed file systems, like NFS). File metadata however, is managed via a "metadata broker". The metadata communication is performed via TCP/IP and Ethernet.

Another difference is that file locks are managed by the metadata broker, rather than the individual host clients. This results in the elimination of a number of problems which typically plague distributed file systems.

Though CXFS supports having a heterogeneous environment (including Solaris, Linux, Mac OS X, AIX and Windows), either SGI's IRIX Operating System or Linux is required to be installed on the host which acts as the metadata broker.

External links

* [http://www.sgi.com/products/storage/software/cxfs.html SGI info about CXFS]

See also

* List of file systems
* Shared disk file system