About This Manual

This manual provides task-based information and instruction for understanding, configuring, troubleshooting, and tuning the Advanced File System (AdvFS) file system. AdvFS is the default file system for the Compaq Tru64^TM UNIX operating system. For hardware and software requirements, see the Tru64 UNIX Software Product Description (SPD).

AdvFS Utilities is a separately licensed product that provides additional file management capabilities and graphical user interfaces to simplify system administration. Logical Storage Manager Storage Administrator (LSMSA) provides a java-based graphical interface for managing LSM objects and the AdvFS file system (see Logical Storage Manager). The AdvFS GUI, which runs under the Common Desktop Environment (CDE), lets you perform AdvFS operations in a graphical environment.

Audience

This manual is designed primarily for system administrators. It describes the AdvFS file system and AdvFS Utilities. Administrators and programmers who are familiar with other UNIX systems can use this manual as a teaching guide for the AdvFS file system.

New and Changed Features

This manual documents the following features that are new in AdvFS in Version 5.1A:

A new domain recovery tool, fixfdmn, that examines metadata corruption (see Section 5.8.3).

A new mount option for temporary atomic-write data logging for a file (see Section 4.4).

Optional object safety (object reuse) protection. Pages on disk belonging to a fileset can be zero-filled and forced to disk before they are available to the file (see Section 1.7.10).

The ability to turn frag files on and off by using the mkfset and chfsets commands (see Section 4.2).

The following features were added to AdvFS in previous Version 5 releases:

AdvFS cache tuning is done through the UBC parameters (see Section 4.5).

Improved disk structure that increases the number of files the domain can track (see Section 1.6.3)

A disk salvage utility that can recover information at the block level from disks that have been damaged (see Section 5.8.4)

An improved directory structure that increases the speed of file creation and access (see Section 1.6.3.2)

Enhanced vdump and vrestore command capability (see Chapter 3)

Remote device support for backup and restore (see Chapter 3)

Increased quota limits (see Chapter 2)

Direct I/O to allow unbuffered, synchronous I/O (see Section 4.6)

Smooth sync option to promote continuous I/O (see Section 4.7)

New utilities (such as vdf, which displays disk usage for domains and filesets) (see Section 2.3.4.4)

Metadata display utilities (see Section 5.13.1)

You can review all documentation for all releases at http://www.tru64unix.compaq.com/docs/ Also at this site you can view the Technical Updates for any information not included in the documentation provided with your media.

Organization

This manual is organized as follows:

Chapter 1	Describes the volumes, domains, and filesets that make up the AdvFS file system and provides information for configuring the system
Chapter 2	Explains user and group quotas as well as fileset quotas, which are unique to the AdvFS file system
Chapter 3	Provides directions for backing up and restoring data
Chapter 4	Provides guidelines for optimizing and tuning your AdvFS file system
Chapter 5	Provides information to help you troubleshoot problems with your AdvFS file system
Appendix A	Explains the use of the SysMan menu
Appendix B	Lists all the AdvFS commands and compares them with UFS commands
Appendix C	Provides an explanation and sample code for converting a file system to AdvFS
Appendix D	Describes the AdvFS Graphical User Interface
Appendix E	Describes using controller-based cloning and snapshotting

Related Documentation

Other useful documentation includes:

System Administration describes the tasks you perform to administer the operating system running on a workstation or server.

The Installation Guide describes how to install your operating system software.

Logical Storage Manager provides information on storage management.

The Programmer's Guide describes the development environment of the Tru64 UNIX operating system.

The Technical Overview provides a brief overview of Tru64 UNIX and its components.

Software License Management describes how to use the License Management Facility (LMF) to manage software licenses on a Tru64 UNIX system.

System Configuration and Tuning provides information on system performance tuning and advanced kernel configuration.

Cluster Administration describes how to manage systems that run TruCluster software.
Best Practice documentation illustrates the optimal way to perform common administrative tasks.

System Limits, Release Notes, Software Product Descriptions for Tru64 UNIX and AdvFS Utilities, Best Practices, and other documentation are also available.

The Documentation Overview provides information on all of the books in the Tru64 UNIX documentation set.

The Tru64 UNIX documentation is available on the World Wide Web at the following URL:


http://www.tru64unix.compaq.com/docs/

Icons on Tru64 UNIX Printed Books

The printed version of the Tru64 UNIX documentation uses letter icons on the spines of the books to help specific audiences quickly find the books that meet their needs. (You can order the printed documentation from Compaq.) The following list describes this convention:

G	Books for general users
S	Books for system and network administrators
P	Books for programmers
D	Books for device driver writers
R	Books for reference page users

Some books in the documentation help meet the needs of several audiences. For example, the information in some system books is also used by programmers. Keep this in mind when searching for information on specific topics.

http://www.tru64unix.compaq.com/docs/ provides information on all of the books in the Tru64 UNIX documentation set.

Reader's Comments

Compaq welcomes any comments and suggestions you have on this and other Tru64 UNIX manuals.

You can send your comments in the following ways:

Fax: 603-884-0120 Attn: UBPG Publications, ZKO3-3/Y32

Internet electronic mail: readers_comment@zk3.dec.com
A Reader's Comment form is located on your system in the following location:
/usr/doc/readers_comment.txt

Please include the following information along with your comments:

The full title of the manual and the order number. (The order number appears on the title page of printed and PDF versions of a manual.)

The section numbers and page numbers of the information on which you are commenting.

The version of Tru64 UNIX that you are using.

If known, the type of processor that is running the Tru64 UNIX software.

The Tru64 UNIX Publications group cannot respond to system problems or technical support inquiries. Please address technical questions to your local system vendor or to the appropriate Compaq technical support office. Information provided with the software media explains how to send problem reports to Compaq.

Conventions

This guide uses the following conventions:

#: A number sign represents the superuser prompt.
% cat: Boldface type in interactive examples indicates typed user input.
file: Italic (slanted) type indicates variable values, placeholders, and function argument names.
[ |] { | }: In syntax definitions, brackets indicate items that are optional and braces indicate items that are required. Vertical bars separating items inside brackets or braces indicate that you choose one item from among those listed.
. . .: In syntax definitions, a horizontal ellipsis indicates that the preceding item can be repeated one or more times.
cat(1): A cross-reference to a reference page includes the appropriate section number in parentheses. For example, cat(1) indicates that you can find information on the cat command in Section 1 of the reference pages.
[Ctrl/x]: This symbol indicates that you hold down the first named key while pressing the key that follows the slash.