tree 7217cf62b8d102e00257be6e0675d25852045bc6
parent 46f4d973f6874c06b7a41a3bf8f4c1717d90f97a
author Boaz Harrosh <bharrosh@panasas.com> 1264672688 +0200
committer Boaz Harrosh <bharrosh@panasas.com> 1267356928 -0800

exofs: Define on-disk per-inode optional layout attribute

* Layouts describe the way a file is spread on multiple devices.
  The layout information is stored in the objects attribute introduced
  in this patch.

* There can be multiple generating function for the layout.
  Currently defined:
    - No attribute present - use below moving-window on global
      device table, all devices.
      (This is the only one currently used in exofs)
    - an obj_id generated moving window - the obj_id is a randomizing
      factor in the otherwise global map layout.
    - An explicit layout stored, including a data_map and a device
      index list.
    - More might be defined in future ...

* There are two attributes defined of the same structure:
  A-data-files-layout - This layout is used by data-files. If present
                        at a directory, all files of that directory will
                        be created with this layout.
  A-meta-data-layout - This layout is used by a directory and other
                       meta-data information. Also inherited at creation
                       of subdirectories.

* At creation time inodes are created with the layout specified above.
  A usermode utility may change the creation layout on a give directory
  or file. Which in the case of directories, will also apply to newly
  created files/subdirectories, children of that directory.
  In the simple unaltered case of a newly created exofs, no layout
  attributes are present, and all layouts adhere to the layout specified
  at the device-table.

* In case of a future file system loaded in an old exofs-driver.
  At iget(), the generating_function is inspected and if not supported
  will return an IO error to the application and the inode will not
  be loaded. So not to damage any data.
  Note: After this patch we do not yet support any type of layout
        only the RAID0 patch that enables striping at the super-block
        level will add support for RAID0 layouts above. This way we
        are past and future compatible and fully bisectable.

* Access to the device table is done by an accessor since
  it will change according to above information.

Signed-off-by: Boaz Harrosh <bharrosh@panasas.com>