NAME
afs_cache - Format of data stored in an AFS client disk cache
DESCRIPTION
The disk cache on a client machine is composed of multiple Vn files
that contain the data, a CacheItems file that records index information
for all of the Vn files, and a VolumeItems file that records the
mapping between volume name and mount point for volumes.
When it initializes, the Cache Manager creates the cache files in the
configured cache location. The standard directory name is
/usr/vice/cache, but it is acceptable to use a directory on a partition
with more available space. To designate a different directory, change
the value in the second field of the /etc/openafs/cacheinfo file before
issuing the afsd command, or include the -cachedir argument to the afsd
command.
CacheItems
The CacheItems file records information about each file in the disk
cache on a client machine (each Vn file). The information includes the
file ID number and associated volume version number of the AFS file
currently stored in the Vn file, which enables the Cache Manager to
determine which Vn file contains the AFS data it needs to present to an
application.
As it initializes, the Cache Manager creates the binary-format
CacheItems file in the same local disk cache directory as the Vn files
that the CacheItems file describes, and it must always remain there.
VolumeItems
The VolumeItems file records the mapping between volume name and mount
point for each volume that the Cache Manager has accessed since it
initialized on a client machine using a disk cache. The Cache Manager
uses the mappings to respond correctly to queries about the current
working directory, which can come from the operating system or commands
such as the UNIX pwd command.
As it initializes, the Cache Manager creates the binary-format
VolumeItems file in the local disk cache directory, and it must always
remain there.
Vn
A Vn file can store a chunk of cached AFS data on a client machine that
is using a disk cache. As the Cache Manager initializes, it verifies
that the local disk cache directory houses a number of Vn files equal
to the largest of the following:
· 100
· One and a half times the result of dividing the cache size by the
chunk size (cachesize/chunksize * 1.5).
· The result of dividing the cache size by 10 MB (10,240).
The Cache Manager determines the cache size from the -blocks argument
to the afsd command, or if the argument is not included, from the third
field of the /etc/openafs/cacheinfo file. The default chunk size is 64
KB; use the -chunksize argument to the afsd command to override it. To
override the default number of chunks resulting from the calculation,
include the -files argument to the afsd command. afsd(8) describes the
restrictions on acceptable values for each of the arguments.
If the disk cache directory houses fewer Vn files than necessary, the
Cache Manager creates new ones, assigning each a unique integer n that
distinguishes it from the other files; the integers start with 1 and
increment by one for each Vn file created. The Cache Manager removes
files if there are more than necessary. The Cache Manager also adds and
removes Vn files in response to the fs setcachesize command, which can
be used to alter the cache size between reboots.
Vn files expand and contract to accommodate the size of the AFS
directory listing or file they temporarily house. As mentioned, by
default each Vn file holds up to 64 KB (65,536 bytes) of a cached AFS
element. AFS elements larger than 64 KB are divided among multiple Vn
files. If an element is smaller than 64 KB, the Vn file expands only to
the required size. A Vn file accommodates only a single element, so if
there many small cached elements, it is possible to exhaust the
available Vn files without reaching the maximum cache size.
CAUTIONS
Editing or removing the CacheItems or VolumeItems files or a Vn file
can cause a kernel panic. If the contents of Vn files seem out of date,
clear the files by using the fs flush or fs flushvolume command. If any
of the cache files are accidentally modified or deleted, rebooting the
machine usually restores normal performance.
To alter cache size (and thus the number of Vn files) between reboots,
use the fs setcachesize command. Alternatively, alter the value of the
-blocks, -files or -chunksize arguments to the afsd command invoked in
the machine’s AFS initialization file, and reboot. To refresh the
contents of one or more Vn files, use the fs flush or fs flushvolume
command.
SEE ALSO
cacheinfo(5), afsd(8), fs_checkvolumes(1), fs_flush(1),
fs_flushvolume(1), fs_setcachesize(1)
COPYRIGHT
IBM Corporation 2000. <http://www.ibm.com/> All Rights Reserved.
This documentation is covered by the IBM Public License Version 1.0.
It was converted from HTML to POD by software written by Chas Williams
and Russ Allbery, based on work by Alf Wachsmann and Elizabeth Cassell.