Quote:
Originally Posted by Edward M. Grant
Uh, not true.
NTFS seems particularly bad for fragmentation, but all file systems will suffer from it unless they automatically defragment in the background. Many Linux filesystems keep fragmentation low by tricks such as spreading files across the disk so there is a lot of free space between them for the file to grow into, but they can still fragment badly when the disk is becoming full and files have to be split among the remaining free blocks.
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Please revise your facts.
In real terms, fragmentation does not exist on Unix or Linux systems. This is because the way data is inserted 1st time and later, and allocation for free space.
This is a long debate and discussion over the years. You can analyze a Unix server that has been in used for a year or so. You will see very small fragmentation on it but so low, that does not require any utility or action.
The only way or time a Unix server may suffer of bad fragmentation is when available free space is 20% or less. On that case, some fragmentation may occur.
Trust me. I was told the same and had an interesting debate with an HP UX engineer long time ago, at work. He basically explained that to me with some lab reports and actual data on real Unix / Linux systems that were live and being used over several a years.
In a short. You can actual run a command and defrag a Linux system. You may see small fragmentation over the years, but in real life it does not worth the time and action. Does not affect performance:
Does Linux need to be defrag’d?
By the way, not trying to initiate a heated debate about Unix vs Windows or convince you that Linux is better. But I am telling you what I actually saw and validated over so many years after working with 24/7 mission critical servers running Unix and Linux, some running databases with 500GB of data and even twice that. You will be amaze of how the theory and books will separate from real life and actual performance.
The NTFS Microsoft file system is very inefficient. New solid state devices may be masking that issue, but still is or was.