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-rw-r--r--Documentation/filesystems/ext4.txt106
1 files changed, 62 insertions, 44 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/ext4.txt b/Documentation/filesystems/ext4.txt
index 0c5086db8352..7e940c64be47 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/ext4.txt
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/ext4.txt
@@ -13,72 +13,89 @@ Mailing list: linux-ext4@vger.kernel.org
131. Quick usage instructions: 131. Quick usage instructions:
14=========================== 14===========================
15 15
16 - Grab updated e2fsprogs from 16 - Compile and install the latest version of e2fsprogs (as of this
17 ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/tytso/e2fsprogs-interim/ 17 writing version 1.41) from:
18 This is a patchset on top of e2fsprogs-1.39, which can be found at 18
19 http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=2406
20
21 or
22
19 ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/tytso/e2fsprogs/ 23 ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/tytso/e2fsprogs/
20 24
21 - It's still mke2fs -j /dev/hda1 25 or grab the latest git repository from:
26
27 git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/fs/ext2/e2fsprogs.git
28
29 - Create a new filesystem using the ext4dev filesystem type:
30
31 # mke2fs -t ext4dev /dev/hda1
32
33 Or configure an existing ext3 filesystem to support extents and set
34 the test_fs flag to indicate that it's ok for an in-development
35 filesystem to touch this filesystem:
22 36
23 - mount /dev/hda1 /wherever -t ext4dev 37 # tune2fs -O extents -E test_fs /dev/hda1
24 38
25 - To enable extents, 39 If the filesystem was created with 128 byte inodes, it can be
40 converted to use 256 byte for greater efficiency via:
26 41
27 mount /dev/hda1 /wherever -t ext4dev -o extents 42 # tune2fs -I 256 /dev/hda1
28 43
29 - The filesystem is compatible with the ext3 driver until you add a file 44 (Note: we currently do not have tools to convert an ext4dev
30 which has extents (ie: `mount -o extents', then create a file). 45 filesystem back to ext3; so please do not do try this on production
46 filesystems.)
31 47
32 NOTE: The "extents" mount flag is temporary. It will soon go away and 48 - Mounting:
33 extents will be enabled by the "-o extents" flag to mke2fs or tune2fs 49
50 # mount -t ext4dev /dev/hda1 /wherever
34 51
35 - When comparing performance with other filesystems, remember that 52 - When comparing performance with other filesystems, remember that
36 ext3/4 by default offers higher data integrity guarantees than most. So 53 ext3/4 by default offers higher data integrity guarantees than most.
37 when comparing with a metadata-only journalling filesystem, use `mount -o 54 So when comparing with a metadata-only journalling filesystem, such
38 data=writeback'. And you might as well use `mount -o nobh' too along 55 as ext3, use `mount -o data=writeback'. And you might as well use
39 with it. Making the journal larger than the mke2fs default often helps 56 `mount -o nobh' too along with it. Making the journal larger than
40 performance with metadata-intensive workloads. 57 the mke2fs default often helps performance with metadata-intensive
58 workloads.
41 59
422. Features 602. Features
43=========== 61===========
44 62
452.1 Currently available 632.1 Currently available
46 64
47* ability to use filesystems > 16TB 65* ability to use filesystems > 16TB (e2fsprogs support not available yet)
48* extent format reduces metadata overhead (RAM, IO for access, transactions) 66* extent format reduces metadata overhead (RAM, IO for access, transactions)
49* extent format more robust in face of on-disk corruption due to magics, 67* extent format more robust in face of on-disk corruption due to magics,
50* internal redunancy in tree 68* internal redunancy in tree
51 69* improved file allocation (multi-block alloc, delayed alloc)
522.1 Previously available, soon to be enabled by default by "mkefs.ext4": 70* fix 32000 subdirectory limit
53 71* nsec timestamps for mtime, atime, ctime, create time
54* dir_index and resize inode will be on by default 72* inode version field on disk (NFSv4, Lustre)
55* large inodes will be used by default for fast EAs, nsec timestamps, etc 73* reduced e2fsck time via uninit_bg feature
74* journal checksumming for robustness, performance
75* persistent file preallocation (e.g for streaming media, databases)
76* ability to pack bitmaps and inode tables into larger virtual groups via the
77 flex_bg feature
78* large file support
79* Inode allocation using large virtual block groups via flex_bg
56 80
572.2 Candidate features for future inclusion 812.2 Candidate features for future inclusion
58 82
59There are several under discussion, whether they all make it in is 83* Online defrag (patches available but not well tested)
60partly a function of how much time everyone has to work on them: 84* reduced mke2fs time via lazy itable initialization in conjuction with
85 the uninit_bg feature (capability to do this is available in e2fsprogs
86 but a kernel thread to do lazy zeroing of unused inode table blocks
87 after filesystem is first mounted is required for safety)
61 88
62* improved file allocation (multi-block alloc, delayed alloc; basically done) 89There are several others under discussion, whether they all make it in is
63* fix 32000 subdirectory limit (patch exists, needs some e2fsck work) 90partly a function of how much time everyone has to work on them. Features like
64* nsec timestamps for mtime, atime, ctime, create time (patch exists, 91metadata checksumming have been discussed and planned for a bit but no patches
65 needs some e2fsck work) 92exist yet so I'm not sure they're in the near-term roadmap.
66* inode version field on disk (NFSv4, Lustre; prototype exists)
67* reduced mke2fs/e2fsck time via uninitialized groups (prototype exists)
68* journal checksumming for robustness, performance (prototype exists)
69* persistent file preallocation (e.g for streaming media, databases)
70 93
71Features like metadata checksumming have been discussed and planned for 94The big performance win will come with mballoc, delalloc and flex_bg
72a bit but no patches exist yet so I'm not sure they're in the near-term 95grouping of bitmaps and inode tables. Some test results available here:
73roadmap.
74 96
75The big performance win will come with mballoc and delalloc. CFS has 97 - http://www.bullopensource.org/ext4/20080530/ffsb-write-2.6.26-rc2.html
76been using mballoc for a few years already with Lustre, and IBM + Bull 98 - http://www.bullopensource.org/ext4/20080530/ffsb-readwrite-2.6.26-rc2.html
77did a lot of benchmarking on it. The reason it isn't in the first set of
78patches is partly a manageability issue, and partly because it doesn't
79directly affect the on-disk format (outside of much better allocation)
80so it isn't critical to get into the first round of changes. I believe
81Alex is working on a new set of patches right now.
82 99
833. Options 1003. Options
84========== 101==========
@@ -224,7 +241,7 @@ stripe=n Number of filesystem blocks that mballoc will try
224 disks * RAID chunk size in file system blocks. 241 disks * RAID chunk size in file system blocks.
225 242
226Data Mode 243Data Mode
227--------- 244=========
228There are 3 different data modes: 245There are 3 different data modes:
229 246
230* writeback mode 247* writeback mode
@@ -256,7 +273,8 @@ kernel source: <file:fs/ext4/>
256 <file:fs/jbd2/> 273 <file:fs/jbd2/>
257 274
258programs: http://e2fsprogs.sourceforge.net/ 275programs: http://e2fsprogs.sourceforge.net/
259 http://ext2resize.sourceforge.net
260 276
261useful links: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/ext3-devel 277useful links: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/ext3-devel
262 http://www.bullopensource.org/ext4/ 278 http://www.bullopensource.org/ext4/
279 http://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Main_Page
280 http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/Ext4