Difference between %used and %Iused for df 1

[new2unix]

Hi,

The output from the df command,

Filesystem 1024-blocks Free %Used Iused %Iused Mounted on
/dev/hd2 2097152 271868 88% 35871 36% /usr


What exactly is the difference between the number reported by %Used and %Iused?

Thanks!

Michael

 

[KenCunningham]

%Used is the percentage of the filesystem disk-space used. %IUsed is the percentage of inodes used, inodes being the file-descriptors in the filesystem. Hope this helps.

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[new2unix]

Thanks! Ken.

Does this mean %Used is more crucial than the number being reported by %Iused when it comes to knowing whether a file system is about to get filled up?

Michael

 

[KenCunningham]

In general I would say that it is, yes, unless the filesystem has been created with some ludicrously small number of inodes - unlikely in my opinion/experience

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[Annihilannic]

It is common enough for inodes to run out when an application creates many thousands or perhaps millions of small files. That's generally something to be avoided if at all possible because managing that filesystem (i.e. searching it, or running fscks) becomes a very slow process.

Annihilannic.

 

[elgrandeperro]

Unless you know that it will be creating lots of little files, like news archives or a document web archive, the default should be fine. Of course nothing looks sillier than to have oodles of disk space and no inodes to use them! To fix usually requires a ufsdump, newfs with the -i optional value and ufsrestore.

eugene