[reiserfs-list] Re: [OpenAFS-devel] more on the 2.2.18pre17 SMPcpu hog/etc.

[Derek Atkins]

Hans Reiser <reiser@namesys.com> writes:

> when the semantics change, what then?

Just ensure that semantics only change in an offline filesystem. :)
What happens if the locality of a file changes?  Doesn't that imply
that the magic number changed?  If not, then why not call your 'magic
number' the inode and the semantics are the same as ext2.  If the
magic number does change when the file locality changes, then you
still have the same problem.

You need to have some means to identify an inode outside a directory
structure.  An unconnected inode is not necessarily illegal.
Therefore, you need _some_ information in order to reference it, and
some information about that inode must remain consistent even if the
locality changes.  Unless you're saying that you move (and renumber)
an inode just because it's directory entry changed.  But that doesn't
make any sense.

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
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