UNIX-based clients

A UNIX-based client is a SAN File System client that runs a UNIX® operating system and has the SAN File System client code installed. In this release, SAN File System supports clients running on these platforms:
Tip: SAN File System allows AIX clients with up to 8 processors.

The SAN File System client code that is installed on a UNIX-based client is called a Virtual File System (VFS). The VFS is a subsystem of an UNIX-based client's virtual file system layer. It directs all metadata operations to a metadata server and all data operations to storage devices that are attached to your SAN. The VFS makes the metadata that is visible to the client's operating system, as well as any applications that run on the client, look identical to metadata read from a native, locally-attached file system.

UNIX-based clients mount the global namespace on their systems. After the global namespace is mounted, you can use it just as you would any other file system to access data and to create, update, and delete files and directories. The following example shows an AIX mount point for SAN File System:
   root@aix2:/# df
   Filesystem  1024-blocks      Free  %Used  Iused  %Iused  Mounted on
   /dev              32768     23024    30%   1413      9%  /
   /dev/hd1         950272      8096   100%  29103     13%  /usr
   SANFS          16728064  16154624     4%      1      1%  /sanfs

UNIX-based clients use standard UNIX permission semantics (such as read, write, and execute bits, and owner and group IDs) that make the global namespace appear as if it is a local UNIX file system.

Parent topic: Clients

Related concepts
Global namespace
Components

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