[Martin Knoblauch <knobi@knobisoft.de>]

>I was wondering if for linux or better for a linux filesystem
>there is something like dynamic swapping of files possible.
>For explanation: I habeaccess to an Infinstor via NFS and
>linux is runnig there. This server has a nice funtion I'd
>like to have: if there are files that are not used for a
>specified time (i.e. 30 days) they are moved to another storage
>(disk and after that to an streamer tape) and are replaced
>by some kind of 'link'. So if you look at your directory you
>can see everything that was there, but if you try to open it,
>you have to wait a moment (some seconds if the file was
>swapped to another disk) oder just another moment (some
>minutes if the file is on a tape) and then it restored at
>it's old place.
>

 Good description of a HSM (Hierarchical Storage Management)
System.

>So is there anything which provides such a feature? By now
>I have a little script that moves such files out of the way and
>replaces them by links. But restoring is somewhat harder and
>it's not automatic.
>
>Any ideas?
>

 Really depends. As far as I know thare are no "free" HSM Systems
out there for Linux The only one that I am faintly familiar with
that runs on Linux is StorNext from ADIC. Definitely not free.

 DMF/Irix may now be ported to Linux (Altix/IA64), but I doubt
it will be free.

 Sun is most likely not (yet) interested in doing a Linux port
of SAM-FS (there are still Sparc/Solaris Machines to sell).
And it won't be free (my guess).

 Tivoli/IBM and UniTree are also sold for Linux. Again "sold" is
the important word

Martin


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Martin Knoblauch
email: k n o b i AT knobisoft DOT de
www:   http://www.knobisoft.de