Efficient use of metadata accompanying file writing to media

摘要

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for holding metadata written by a file system is provided. It is determined whether first metadata written to a storage medium belongs to a first group of metadata written intentionally by a user, or to a second group of metadata automatically written by a file system. Responsive to determining that the first metadata belongs to the first group, the first metadata is held in memory using a back pointer holder to differentiate the first metadata from metadata belonging to the second group.

主权项

1. A method for holding metadata written by a file system, the method comprising:
determining whether first metadata written to a storage medium belongs to a first group of metadata written intentionally by a user, or to a second group of metadata automatically written by a file system, wherein the storage medium is a tape medium including additional metadata written to a data partition of the tape medium along with one or more files written to the data partition, and metadata overwritten on an index partition of the tape medium in a location separate from the data partition; and responsive to determining that the first metadata belongs to the first group, holding the first metadata in memory using a back pointer holder to differentiate the first metadata from metadata belonging to the second group.