The Linux storage stack serves as a prime example of meticulously coordinated layers. Embark on a journey through the kernel code with Architecture and Design of the Linux Storage Stack, crafted for anyone seeking in-depth knowledge about the layered design of Linux storage and its landscape.
You’ll explore the Linux storage stack and its various concepts. You’ll unlock the secrets of the virtual filesystem and the actual filesystem and the differences in their implementation, the role of the block layer, the Multi-Queue and Device Mapper frameworks, I/O schedulers, physical storage layout, and how to analyze all the layers in the storage stack.
By the end of this book, you’ll be acquainted with how a simple I/O request from a process travels down through all the layers and ends up in physical storage.
Understand the role of the virtual filesystem
Explore the different flavors of Linux filesystems and their key concepts
Manage I/O operations to and from block devices using the block layer
Deep dive into the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) subsystem and the layout of physical devices
Gauge I/O performance at each layer of the storage stack
Discover the best storage practices