[OpenAFS] Re: afs vs nfs

[Neulinger, Nathan]

> > This can also be considered a disadvantage.  When using AFS, you are
> > forced to manage your storage the AFS way.  Files are=20
> effectively not
> > stored natively on the filesystem, and cannot be accessed=20
> via some other
> > method, and must be backed up via afs-specific methods.
> >=20
> > It works pretty well, but as an NFSv4 presenter put it, NFS=20
> is a network
> > filesystem - with AFS you have to swallow the whale of all=20
> the other AFS
> > stuff

I actually agree with this to a limited degree, I think that it would be
useful to have a little bit more capability for managing raw AFS data
from the filesystem directly, but not necessarily backing off on the
"it's opaque, don't screw with it" philosophy.

Something as simple as having an alternative namei that would look the
same down below, but would have the top level directory be the RW volume
id corresponding to whatever data is being stored.

This would allow the top level dirs and volume header to be backed up
and restored as regular files. Granted you would not have the true
snapshot like you can get with vos, but even that is subject to timing
as far as high level file access goes.=20

-- Nathan

------------------------------------------------------------
Nathan Neulinger                       EMail:  nneul@umr.edu
University of Missouri - Rolla         Phone: (573) 341-6679
UMR Information Technology             Fax: (573) 341-4216