Linked by Rahul on Sat 18th Oct 2008 11:29 UTC
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Member since:
2005-07-24
Incorrect. Fragmentation and its consequences are filesystem (and workload) specific. Unix/Linux filesystems historically, with the notable exception of Reiser4, have been quite resistant to fragmentation.
For example, I just spot checked my busiest server, formatted ext3, which has a workload that consists of:
- 60 concurrent Gnome desktop sessions via XDMCP and NX (Web/Mail/Wordprocessing/Spreadsheet, etc.)
- 100 concurrent sessions of a point of sale package
- Intranet web/application server
- Database server
- Internal dhcp server
- Internal name server
- Samba file and print server for legacy Windows stations
- Other stuff
It has been operating for a little under a year and currently exhibits only 6.6% fragmentation.
That said, there are may be workloads that result in more fragmentation. But low to mid single digit percentages are what I typically see. In fact, in my 20+ years of administering various Unix/Linux systems, I have never at any time been in a situation in which I felt any need for a defragmenter. But as a friend of mine was fond of saying, "it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it".
Unfortunately, considering the number of new Linux users coming from a Windows background, I expect to see lots of senseless recommendations to "defrag the hard drive" in the not too distant future. For "performance" reasons... and even as an attempt to fix problems. Remember that Linspire was forced, by popular user request, to add a virus checker to their distro. Because "everyone knows" that its dangerous to run a computer without one because it might get a "computer virus".
Edited 2008-10-18 20:33 UTC