On 09/12/99 21:09:53 you wrote:

Greetings,

We're about to hit 100% in inode usage again and this time, I want to increase `maxfiles' to a more reasonable level than the current 1 per 32KB allocation.

The average file size on our 216GB volume is ~4KB. But I think increasing maxfiles by 8 times might be a bit risky. Or maybe not. Anyone ever increase maxfiles from 1 per 32KB to 1 per 4KB?

Just to play it safe, I'm thinking of doing it in 4KB increments... first increase to 1 per 28KB and then work my way up if I need it.

Suggestions or testimonials?

I don't think this is the best approach to use.

Rather, consider how full your filesystem currently is. If you're using 50% now, then a simply extrapolation is to simply double the current maxfiles number (don't think in terms of inodes/KB) and you should be fine. Or, if you don't want the hassle of monitoring your maxfiles, consider the max expansion for your filer and adjust upward based on current usage. The space/performance penalty for having a maxfiles a few times larger than you actually use is minimal.

Personally, whenever I've had a filer go over 90% inode usage, I would generally just bump maxfiles up by 50% (total) if the disk is also close to getting full, or double it if I have a new filer that I am planning to add a lot more to in the near future.

Bruce