A clear explanation of metaslab groups and gangs, in ZFS?












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I'm trying to troubleshoot a problem related to metaslab and spacemaps in ZFS on FreeBSD, for which I'd like to have a clear understanding of how these work. Most of the docs make sense. But I keep coming across gangs, and groups, and the explanations for these terms are very hazy and vague. It makes it hard to be sure I know what happens.



To use as a concrete example, suppose I create a pool with two striped 8TB HDDs (non-redundant storage, one vdev= one HDD to keep the example simple), and put a pool and dataset on it. I understand ZFS will initially carve the free capacity up into "about" 200 metaslabs per vdev (about 400 metaslabs total, 30 ~ 40GB each), but after that the picture gets unclear.



As time goes on, and files of varying sizes are added and deleted, how does free space/metaslab management broadly evolve, and where do metaslab groups and "gangs" (whatever these are) come into the picture?



I'm mostly after a "broad/big-ish picture", to orient me and contextualise the terms I don't understand, and see how these all fit together at a quite high level.



Thanks.










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    1















    I'm trying to troubleshoot a problem related to metaslab and spacemaps in ZFS on FreeBSD, for which I'd like to have a clear understanding of how these work. Most of the docs make sense. But I keep coming across gangs, and groups, and the explanations for these terms are very hazy and vague. It makes it hard to be sure I know what happens.



    To use as a concrete example, suppose I create a pool with two striped 8TB HDDs (non-redundant storage, one vdev= one HDD to keep the example simple), and put a pool and dataset on it. I understand ZFS will initially carve the free capacity up into "about" 200 metaslabs per vdev (about 400 metaslabs total, 30 ~ 40GB each), but after that the picture gets unclear.



    As time goes on, and files of varying sizes are added and deleted, how does free space/metaslab management broadly evolve, and where do metaslab groups and "gangs" (whatever these are) come into the picture?



    I'm mostly after a "broad/big-ish picture", to orient me and contextualise the terms I don't understand, and see how these all fit together at a quite high level.



    Thanks.










    share|improve this question



























      1












      1








      1








      I'm trying to troubleshoot a problem related to metaslab and spacemaps in ZFS on FreeBSD, for which I'd like to have a clear understanding of how these work. Most of the docs make sense. But I keep coming across gangs, and groups, and the explanations for these terms are very hazy and vague. It makes it hard to be sure I know what happens.



      To use as a concrete example, suppose I create a pool with two striped 8TB HDDs (non-redundant storage, one vdev= one HDD to keep the example simple), and put a pool and dataset on it. I understand ZFS will initially carve the free capacity up into "about" 200 metaslabs per vdev (about 400 metaslabs total, 30 ~ 40GB each), but after that the picture gets unclear.



      As time goes on, and files of varying sizes are added and deleted, how does free space/metaslab management broadly evolve, and where do metaslab groups and "gangs" (whatever these are) come into the picture?



      I'm mostly after a "broad/big-ish picture", to orient me and contextualise the terms I don't understand, and see how these all fit together at a quite high level.



      Thanks.










      share|improve this question
















      I'm trying to troubleshoot a problem related to metaslab and spacemaps in ZFS on FreeBSD, for which I'd like to have a clear understanding of how these work. Most of the docs make sense. But I keep coming across gangs, and groups, and the explanations for these terms are very hazy and vague. It makes it hard to be sure I know what happens.



      To use as a concrete example, suppose I create a pool with two striped 8TB HDDs (non-redundant storage, one vdev= one HDD to keep the example simple), and put a pool and dataset on it. I understand ZFS will initially carve the free capacity up into "about" 200 metaslabs per vdev (about 400 metaslabs total, 30 ~ 40GB each), but after that the picture gets unclear.



      As time goes on, and files of varying sizes are added and deleted, how does free space/metaslab management broadly evolve, and where do metaslab groups and "gangs" (whatever these are) come into the picture?



      I'm mostly after a "broad/big-ish picture", to orient me and contextualise the terms I don't understand, and see how these all fit together at a quite high level.



      Thanks.







      zfs






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      edited Jan 6 at 0:02







      Stilez

















      asked Jan 5 at 23:56









      StilezStilez

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      76311021






















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