Abstract: A data structure used by an operating system to refer to a filesystem object includes information that permits the structure to be associated with filesystem objects having different filesystem implementations. The data structure is associated with a filesystem object that is linked into different directories that have different filesystem implementations. Therefore, the data structure includes respective information within it about each different link. As a result, a filesystem object, such as a directory, having one filesystem implementation may be created in or moved to another directory having a different filesystem implementation; or, a file may be linked in multiple directories having different implementations.

Abstract: A filesystem conversion process converts a filesystem from one implementation type to another type while the filesystem remains active and fully accessible. The conversion process builds a list of directories in the filesystem that are of the old filesystem type and then converts each directory until the entire filesystem is converted. Instead of the filesystem being shutdown to perform the conversion, the conversion process may run as a background thread that does not interfere with normal filesystem operations.

Abstract: A data structure used by an operating system to refer to a filesystem object includes information that permits the structure to be associated with filesystem objects having different filesystem implementations. The data structure is associated with a filesystem object that is linked into different directories that have different filesystem implementations. Therefore, the data structure includes respective information within it about each different link. As a result, a filesystem object, such as a directory, having one filesystem implementation may be created in or moved to another directory having a different filesystem implementation; or, a file may be linked in multiple directories having different implementations.