Quantum Barcode Reader 3.5.1 User Manual

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Chapter 6  Managing the File System
Working With Stripe Groups
StorNext User’s Guide
113
Working With Stripe Groups
A stripe group is a logical disk volume in a file system that consists of one 
or more LUNs used to store metadata information, journaling 
information, and user data. Stripe groups are used to create logical 
volumes that can span multiple controllers on an array and even multiple 
arrays for even greater performance. Stripe groups are composed of 
LUNs of the same size and disk class based on your cost and performance 
requirements. (Fibre channel provides the highest performance and duty 
cycle.)
A stripe group contains definitions about read and write permissions, 
real time I/O constraints, a stripe breadth definition, multi-pathing 
methodology, and an affinity association. A file system can contain 
multiple stripe groups. 
Stripe groups are bound together to create a StorNext file system. When 
data is written into the file system, two critical things happen. 
First, data is separated from metadata. Metadata operations are typically 
small and random, and they require a lot of head movement on disks. 
Data however, tends to be written in large sequential patterns with less 
head movement. By separating data and metadata, thrashing is 
minimized and performance is maximized. 
The second critical thing that can happen when data is written to the file 
system is file steering. Stripe groups can be different sizes and categories 
of disk, so you could have a file system with one stripe group of SATA 
disk intended for proxy files or temporary storage (i.e., less critical data 
on lower duty cycle, slower disk). You might have another larger fibre 
channel stripe group for storing raw content (i.e., high value data, on 
higher duty cycle, higher performance disk). 
Getting data to specific stripe groups is accomplished using affinities, a 
mapping that ties a directory in the file system to a specific stripe group. 
When you write files to a directory, StorNext uses affinities to 
Note:
For more information about using the snfsdefrag 
command, refer to the snfsdefrag(1) man pages.