Chapter 1. Managing File Systems

Objectives

The following objectives for Exam CX-310-200 are covered in this chapter:

Explain disk architecture including the UFS file system capabilities and naming conventions for devices for SPARC, x64, and x86-based systems.

• Device drivers control every device connected to your system, and some devices use multiple device drivers. This chapter explains device drivers so that you can recognize and verify all devices connected to your system. In addition, the Solaris operating system accesses devices, such as disks and tape drives, through device and path names. The system administrator must be familiar with the various path names that point to each piece of hardware connected to the system.

Explain when and how to list devices, reconfigure devices, perform disk partitioning, and relabel a disk in a Solaris operating environment using the appropriate files, commands, options, menus, and/or tables.

• The system administrator is responsible for adding and configuring new hardware on the system. This chapter describes how new devices are configured into the Solaris operating environment. You'll need to describe disk architecture and understand naming conventions for disk devices as used in the Solaris operating environment.

• You'll need to know how to set up the disks and disk partitions when installing the Solaris operating environment. However, to properly set up a disk, you first need to understand the concepts behind disk storage and partitioning. You then need to determine how you want data stored on your system's disks.

Explain the Solaris 10 OS file system, including disk-based, distributed, devfs, and memory file systems related to SMF, and create a new UFS file system using options for <1Tbyte and> 1Tbyte file systems.

• You'll need to understand all of the file systems that are available in the Solaris operating environment. In addition, you'll need to know when to use each type of file system.

Explain when and how to create a new UFS using the newfs command, check the file system using fsck, resolve file system inconsistencies, and monitor file system usage using associated commands.

You'll need to be familiar with all of the commands used to create, check, and repair file systems. The system administrator needs to know how to use these tools and understand the effect that the various command options will have on performance and functionality.

Describe the purpose, features, and functions of root subdirectories, file components, file types, and hard links in the Solaris directory hierarchy.

Explain how to create and remove hard links in a Solaris directory.

• You'll need to know how to create, remove, and identify a hard link and understand why they are used in the Solaris operating environment. You'll need to be able to identify and describe all of the file types available in the Solaris operating environment. You'll need to understand the purpose of each subdirectory located in the root file system and the type of information that is stored in these subdirectories.

Explain the purpose and function of the vfstab file in mounting UFS file systems, and the function of the mnttab file system in tracking current mounts.

• You'll need to maintain the table of file system defaults as you configure file systems to mount automatically at bootup. You'll also need to understand the function of the mounted file system table (mnttab) and the entries made in this file.

Explain how to perform mounts and unmounts, and either access or restrict access to mounted diskettes and CD-ROMs.

• Each file system type supports options that control how the file system will function and perform. You'll need to understand all of these custom file system parameters. The system administrator needs to be familiar with mounting and unmounting file systems and all of the options associated with the process.