samba - Jan 2008 - Excessive files in a single folder.

I've got a Linux server with over 1.5 Million files in a single directory,
which as you will probably agree is not a good idea.

My problem is that the management refuses to accept that it's a bad idea to
have that many files in a single directory.

To make the problem worse, the folder in question is exported via Samba and NFS!

Has anyone come across any references/documents that I could use to slap some
sense into them?

I've not had much luck in finding anything to support my concerns on the
web, I assume this is
because nobody in their right minds would design an application to work this
way.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Brett Maton
Linux Consultant
RHCE #805007238628267

Anton House
Chantry Street
Andover
SP10 1DE

Mobile: 07765 240365
Tel: 01264 353211 ext 2338

brett.maton@simplyhealth.co.uk
GBSLinuxAdmin@simplyhealth.co.uk (to include Mark Bradley)


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On Wed, Jan 16, 2008 at 11:43:08AM -0000, Brett Maton
wrote:
> 
> I've got a Linux server with over 1.5 Million files in a single
directory,
> which as you will probably agree is not a good idea.
It's a *terrible* idea :-).
> My problem is that the management refuses to accept that it's a bad
idea to
> have that many files in a single directory.
> 
> To make the problem worse, the folder in question is exported via Samba and
NFS!
> 
> Has anyone come across any references/documents that I could use to slap
some sense into them?
> 
> I've not had much luck in finding anything to support my concerns on
the web, I assume this is
> because nobody in their right minds would design an application to work
this way.
Try this howto. It might help on the Samba side of things,
but if the NFS clients are writing into the directory as
well as Samba, you're screwed :-).

http://us4.samba.org/samba/docs/man/Samba-HOWTO-Collection/largefile.html

Jeremy.