Fragmentation

Perhaps you have installed your AIX some time ago, many files have been created, updated, extended or truncated since then and you don't have any idea how fragmented your files are.

In order to find out how fragmented your files are, following options are available to you :

learn fsdb and examine manually your inode-table and block-pointers
in AIX V3 you can install the fileplace command
in AIX V4 you buy an additional software from IBM (fileplace command is no longer part of AIX)

you can download a free software from this web-site.

Software characteristics (version 1.6) :

software will run on AIX V3.2 & AIX V4.1 & AIX V4.2 & AIX 4.3
is capable to analyse fragmentation for
- standard AIX V3 filesystems
- special AIX V4.1 filesystems, including following options
  - compression
  - fragmentation
- special AIX V4.2 filesystems, including following options
  - large file (>2GB) filesystems
  - aggregate size different from 8MB
doesn't need root permission for executing
only requires READ permission to the logical volume containing the file you want to analyse
easy usage 'place filename' will give you the layout of your file
sample output looks like : $ place /usr/lib/boot/unix # # file locater (C) Compunix v1.6. For more info : place -h # Vol: /dev/hd2 (4096 byte blocks). AIX V3 filesystem. File: /usr/lib/boot/unix, size : 2123454 bytes. i#: 2 md: f---r-xr-xr-x ln: 1 uid: 0 gid: 0 Logical blocks ============== 0006218-0006225 8 blks, 32 KB, 1.5% unallocated 2 blks, 8 KB, 0.4% 0006227-0006244 18 blks, 72 KB, 3.5% 0006247-0006258 12 blks, 48 KB, 2.3% 0007190-0007253 64 blks, 256 KB, 12.3% 0007256-0007263 8 blks, 32 KB, 1.5% 0007507-0007518 12 blks, 48 KB, 2.3% 0035881-0036069 189 blks, 756 KB, 36.5% unallocated 1 blks, 4 KB, 0.2% 0006245 1 blk, 4 KB, 0.2% 0006259 1 blk, 4 KB, 0.2% 0036070-0036272 203 blks, 812 KB, 39.0% 516 blocks over space of 30055: space efficiency = 1.7% 10 fragments out of 516 possible: sequentiallity 98.3%
- space efficiency gives you how widely spread your blocks are. In this example 516 blocks are spread between block 6218 and block 36272
- sequentiallity is rather good. Best would be 1 fragment, worst would be 516 fragments
$ ./place -v -f /home # # file locater (C) Compunix v1.6. For more info : ./place -h # Vol: /dev/hd1 (4096 byte blocks). AIX V4.1 filesystem type. Fragment size 512. Compression not activated 117 filesystem aggregates Scanning aggreates............................................................... ...................................................... Number of used inodes = 13885 Fragments 20305 (best case 13712, worst case 900795) Space efficiency : Math. average = 89.88758%, Geo. average = 0.00000% Space sequentiality : Math. average = 99.57144%, Geo. average = 99.55933% Overall filesystem seq. 91.8216% (fragments = 13712 --> 100%, fragments = 900795 --> 0%) Each character represent 117 Kbytes. ssibUUbbWxUxxxxxxxbbxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiWxUWWxxWWWxxxxxxWxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxiiWWRWWRRRWWxRRWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWWxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxWxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxxWxiiRRxUWWWxxxWxxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxWxxxxxxxxxxxiixRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxiixxWxxxxxWxxxxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiRWWxWxxWWWxxxxWxWxxxxRxxWxxWWxxxxiixxxxR xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxUxxxxUxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxbxxxxbxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxRxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxRRxxxRxRRxRx xRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRRWiixxWxxRxxWWWRWxxxxxxxWWWWWxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxRxxxx xxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWRWxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiix xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxWWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi ixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxWxx xWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxbxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRxRxxWxxxxxxxxx xiixxWxWxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxUUxxxxiixxxxWWWWxxxxxxUUxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxWxxx xxxRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxRxxxxxxxxxxxbxxbxxxxxbxxxxxxxUiixxxUxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx WxxRxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiibxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxWxx xxWxxiibxUUbUWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxbxxxbxxxxxxxiixxxxxbxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxbxxbxxiixxxx xWxRRWxRRRRxxxxRxxRxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxWxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxRxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxWxxWxxxWxxxRxRxxx xxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiWWRxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxiixx xUWUxxWxWRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxxxiiWWWWWxxxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxxxWWWiixxxxxxxxxxxxx UxxxxxxxxUxWxxxxxUxxiiWWxWWRxWWxxxxxRxxRRRxxRxxxRxxxRRxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxii xxxxbbWxxxxbxxxxxbxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWWxxxxWxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxWWWWxWiiWxWxxxxxxxxxxWWxxxxxxWWxWxxxxWWUWiiWUxxxxxUxxxUxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxUxxUiixxxxbbxxbxxbxbbxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxUxxxxUxxxxxUxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx iixxxxxWxxxxxxxxUxURxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxW WxWxxxxxxUWxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWWxiiWWWxxxWWWxWWWWWWxxxx xxWxWxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxUUUxiiWbbbxxxxxxxxxxxWRbxxWxxbxbxxxbRRxiixxRxxxR RxxRxxRRxxxxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxiixxxWxxRxRxxRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWUxxxRiixxxWRxxxxRxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxWxxxWRxxiiWWRRWWRWWRRRRWWRWRWWWxRxRRxRWxxWxiixxxxxxxRRWxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxxxxx RRRRiiRRRWWWRxRWxxbxbxxxxxxxxxWxxxxRxxxiiRRxRRxxxxWWxxxxWRUxxxxRWWWWUURUUUiiWxxxW RUURxxxxxWWxWUUWxxWWWWWWWUURiiWWRxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxxWRUUxiiWxWRxWRxxWxxxxxx xxxxxWWWWWxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxRxxxxxxxxxxxxWWRxxxxxiiRRxxxxxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxRxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiixxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWWxxWWxxiiixWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxiiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiii xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiixxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxxxWWxxWWWxxRxxiiiRxxWWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWxW RWxWWWW...iiixxxxxxxWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxUUUx.
- space efficiency gives you the mathemical and geometrical means of all the efficiencies of every files on the filesystem
- space sequentiallity gives you the mathemical and geometrical means of all the space seq. of every files on the filesystem
- Overall filesystem seq. provides gives an estimation how badly your filesystem is fragmented. Best case (=100%) would be that all files are allocated in one fragment (in this example : 13222), worst case (=0%) would be all blocks of all files are allocated in non-contiguous way (in this example : 831267).
- filesystem map represents the layout of your filesystem, following codes are used :
  - s : superblock
  - i : inodemap
  - b : bitmaps
  - R : files recently accessed for read
  - W : files recently accessed for write
  - U : files recently accessed for read/write
  - x : other files
  - . : free space
  ideal situation would be that all RWU would be located on the same place in the filesystem to minimise the seek times. This is not the case on the above filesystem.

If you are interested in this software, you can download for free for the following platforms :

click HERE for AIX3.2 version (35K) to start download.
click HERE for AIX4.1 version (39K)to start download.
click HERE for AIX4.2 version (39K)to start download.
click HERE for AIX4.3 version (45K)to start download.

In case you don't like the .bin extension, simple rename the file. This extension is only required to ensure a smooth download.

In case you have problems downloading this software or you have troubles executing the software, please contact us.

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