Damian G wrote: >>O! do tell!! >> >>Mark > > > uhm...... > > > [FFFFFoooooo_________] <---- let's say this is a harddrive, where: > > _________ : blank space. > FFFFF, oooooo : files 1 and 2. > > > that drive would be in perfect state, right? all files stored neatly one > after the other and the free space is all together at the end of the > disk. > > > now, this: > > [FFFooFoFooo_____] > > this is called internal fragmentation. after a lot of > changes in file sizes, "chunks" of files get mixed up, making > a file read a slower process... file 1 and 2 are fragmented, > but the free space is still kept together. > > > a third situation is: > > [_FFFFF___ooooooo___] > > this is external fragmentation. here, the files are not > fragmented ( no internal fragmentation) however, as a consequence > of writing the files at random places on the disk, the free space > gets scattered all over. this leads, most of the times to internal > fragmentation, too. ( the next time you have to make a file you > only have scattered bits of space to write it... ) > > > and at last.. this: > > [_FoF__ooFoo_F_o__Fo] > > .....this is a typical windows partition that has not beed defragged > in a long time. both internal and external fragmentation occurs, both > files and free space are a mess. > > > i've also seen defrag tools for the RAM in windows.. ( fragmentation is > not limited to harddrives. any modern operating system uses memory > paging or segmentation and can suffer internal and external > fragmentation in memory pages.. the same little sketches i made > would apply, but change the "file 1" and "file 2" with "process 1" > and process 2" ) > > > Damian > > PD: i like making useless explainations ;oP . sorry for a long post. > anyhow i think this stuff is useful when you want to learn about > and choose filesystems..
Damian, That was actually interesting. I hadn't known that before. tanks mang! Mark
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