File Blocks And File Extents - Cont.

• Some file-systems (e.g. ext4, xfs) allocate larger extents.
  • Pros:
    • Reduces file fragmentation significantly.
    • Reduces need for indirect inode blocks - making random file access much faster.
  • Cons:
    • With small files and sparse files - disk space is wasted.

Originally written by guy keren