System and method for representing named data streams within an on-disk structure of a file system

摘要

A technique provides on-disk representations of multiple named data streams for a file system of a network storage appliance. The network storage appliance or filer includes a file system that implements a Write Anywhere File Layout (WAFL) disk format, wherein files are described by inodes of which there may be various types, including directory and regular inodes. A named stream inode type is defined that represents named data streams in the WAFL file system. Multiple data streams may be stored on disk(s) of the filer as representations embodying the named stream inode type associated with a file. The names and file handles of the data streams are stored in a "hidden" directory within the file system that is referenced by the base mode. The hidden directory is represented as a stream_dir inode type.