DataPlow SAN File System

The SAN File System (SFS) is a high-performance, clustered file system created by the company DataPlow. SFS enables fast access to shared files located on shared, storage area network (SAN)-attached storage devices.^[1] SFS utilizes the high-speed, scalable data transfers inherent to storage area networks and is a general-purpose file system for a wide variety of environments, including scientific computing, finance, healthcare, entertainment, defense, broadcast, and aerospace.

Platforms

It is supported on Linux, Solaris, OS X, and Windows.

Supports all SAN-based, block-level storage protocols including Fibre Channel and iSCSI.

Features and specifications

Interoperability

• Supports NFS and CIFS/Samba file serving
• Supports virtual machine software: Microsoft, VMWare, and Zen
• Supports all major backup software
• SAN features: virtualization, zoning, snapshots, mirroring, and redundant network connections

Security

• High security mode
• UNIX: POSIX compliant permissions
• Windows: Access control lists (ACLs)

Specifications

• ASCII, UNICODE, and UTF-8 filename character encoding
• Supports binary executables
• User-level (Advisory) record locking
• Journaling for fast recovery
• Extent addressable storage minimizes fragmentation
• UNIX: Volume attaches to mount-point
• Windows: Volume attaches to drive letter
• Buffered, synchronous, asynchronous, direct, and memory mapped I/O

Limits

• 255 character filename length
• Unlimited pathname length
• 8 Exabyte file size
• 64 Exabyte volume size

References

1. "Functionality and Performance Evaluation of File Systems for Storage Area Networks (SAN)" (PDF).

External links

• "DataPlow Products". Web site. Retrieved May 24, 2013.