Managing Disk Layout and File Systems

Abstract

On a Linux server, the way in which the hard disk is organized—and in which the file systems are created on that hard disk—is essential. There are many choices to be made, and there is no single solution that fits all needs. In this chapter, you’ll first assess if you have to work with partitions, or whether you’re better off working with logical volumes. You’ll also examine how partitions and volume behave differently on a master boot record (MBR) and on a globally unique identifier (GUID) partition table. Next, you’ll discover how to create partitions and logical volumes. Once the storage volume has been created, you have to put a file system on it. In this chapter, you’ll learn which file system best fits your needs and how to manage specific file-system features.