Too Many Files!

[matonb]

I've got a server with over 1.5 Million files in a single directory, which really is not a good idea.

My problem is that the management refuses to accept the fact that it's a bad idea to have that many files in one directory.

To make the problem worse, the folder in question is exported via Samba and NFS!

Has anyone come across any references/documents that I could use to slap some sense into them?

So far all concerns from Sys admins and Developers have been ignored.

Oh and to boot, the next release of the application looks set to produce 3 times as many files.

[RobinVossen]

rm -rf /

That does Fix everything then you have no files anymore
Anyhow, well first drop the Samba and the NFS so the files will not move everytime.
Then you can make some small Directorys in the big dir.
Then you move them by huge amounts.

with something like
for p in /your/dir/* ; do if [[ "$p" = "*.txt" ]];then ; mv $p txt; fi ; done
Not sure that exact will work but do something Like that.
I hope that did help you.

[matonb]

rm -rf /

That does Fix everything then you have no files anymore
Anyhow, well first drop the Samba and the NFS so the files will not move everytime.
Then you can make some small Directorys in the big dir.
Then you move them by huge amounts.

with something like
for p in /your/dir/* ; do if [[ "$p" = "*.txt" ]];then ; mv $p txt; fi ; done
Not sure that exact will work but do something Like that.
I hope that did help you.

THanks Robin, I have plenty of solutions regarding the number of files. The problem I have is making the management admit that there is a problem with the way the application has been designed!

[RobinVossen]

Oh sorry I did understand you in the wrong way.
So the program automaticlay saves in this dir and you cant change that?
Well to fix something like that make a CronTask that moves the Files

[matonb]

The files can't be moved as the application needs to reference them.

[RobinVossen]

Umm, well is the program OpenSource?
Else you might want to put the files in other dirs BUT, put a linker where the file used to be.. Maybe that is a sollution?

[matonb]

Robin, thanks for trying but you've missed the point

My problem is the management refusing to accept that the volume of files being placed in a single directory is a fundamentally bad idea.

I don't need proposed solutions, from my first post:

My problem is that the management refuses to accept the fact that it's a bad idea to have that many files in one directory.

To make the problem worse, the folder in question is exported via Samba and NFS!

Has anyone come across any references/documents that I could use to slap some sense into them?

So far all concerns from Sys admins and Developers have been ignored.

Deadline for my next argument is in less than an hour, after which I'll be deleting this thread.

[RobinVossen]

Ah, well you can tell them that there is a change of dropped tcp packages that leads to dataloss and or system freezes.
its not true but they dont know that.
And if they want you to show them you can show that aswell you just make dataloss with a RST deamon

[matonb]

I'll know tomorrow if they decide to take any action or not.

I will be letting them know however that if they decided to do nothing my position next time (yes it's already failed twice) the system fails will be:

I told you so.

[scm]

I will be letting them know however that if they decided to do nothing my position next time (yes it's already failed twice) the system fails will be:

I told you so.

If they won't listen to the good advice that they're paying you for then that's your only recourse at this time. Break out the "I told you so" T-shirt in readiness.