Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!uhnix1!sugar!peter
From: peter@sugar.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Faster File Systems
Keywords: BOOH
Message-ID: <3100@sugar.uu.net>
Date: 16 Dec 88 03:11:15 GMT
References: <55@microsoft.UUCP> <65@microsoft.UUCP>
Organization: Sugar Land Unix - Houston, TX
Lines: 27

In article <65@microsoft.UUCP>, w-colinp@microsoft.UUCP (Colin Plumb) writes
about his extent-based file system...

> Really, there must be *something* wrong, or the Amiga wouldn't have been
> designed with sectors in the first place.

The problem is that this file system loses badly when you do switch to a
device with real sectors. So you have three choices:

	1) Make floppies faster (maybe) and hard disks slower.
	2) Make hard disks faster and flopies slower.
	3) have completely different file systems on floppies and hard disks.

Choice three adds considerably to the complexity, and opens the door for
different hard disk manufacturers to define their own formats. It's the best
choice for all-out raw speed. Luckily, it's relatively easy for you to
implement a version of it (3b).

Choice one is a problem, since it'll hurt sales of higher-end Amigas and make
it seem like a game machine... which is a problem anyway.

Choice three is the one Commodore chose. I think it's good enough. You can
always switch to 3b any time you want to write the code.
-- 
		    Peter da Silva  `-_-'  peter@sugar.uu.net
		     Have you hugged  U  your wolf today?

	          Disclaimer: My typos are my own damn busines#!rne