Abstract: A method for generating and communicating file system hints. The method may include receiving an I/O request from a file system layer and checking the I/O request for file system contextual information. The method may also include accessing the file system layer to determine attributes of the file system contextual information and receiving the attributes of the file system contextual information from the file system layer. The method may further include analyzing attributes of the file system contextual information and generating a hint based upon analyzing the attributes of the file system contextual information. The method may include a mechanism to provide weight-age of data passed from the application. The hint may be associated with the I/O request, and the hint may comprise hotness information to increase efficiency of data accessibility at a lower level storage tier. The method may include sending the hint to the lower level storage tier.

Abstract: A method for generating and communicating file system hints. The method may include receiving an I/O request from a file system layer and checking the I/O request for file system contextual information. The method may also include accessing the file system layer to determine attributes of the file system contextual information and receiving the attributes of the file system contextual information from the file system layer. The method may further include analyzing attributes of the file system contextual information and generating a hint based upon analyzing the attributes of the file system contextual information. The method may include a mechanism to provide weight-age of data passed from the application. The hint may be associated with the I/O request, and the hint may comprise hotness information to increase efficiency of data accessibility at a lower level storage tier. The method may include sending the hint to the lower level storage tier.

Abstract: Information identifying the inode of the parent directory of a file may be stored in that file's inode. A reverse pathname lookup from the file's inode identifier may be performed by reading a parent directory inode identifier of the file's parent directory from the file's inode and using the parent directory inode identifier to generate a pathname for the file. Generating the pathname may involve identifying the filename of the file by searching the parent directory identified by the parent inode identifier for the file's filename. A file's inode may include more than one parent directory inode identifier.