Rise of information capacity HDD (the Part II)

File system NTFS (NT File System), being a basis of modern, high-powered operating systems, has been created already rather for a long time. The given development has been oriented specially to usage with the operating system of Windows NT. However the wide circulation this file system is real has received only with arrival on the computer market of such powerful operating systems, as Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. From set of the perspective processing techniques realised in NTFS and quite often used by prepared users, it is necessary to mark such interesting possibility as effective compression of programs and data the resources built in this file system.

File system NTFS allows to compress not only separate files, but also directories, and even the whole volumes, that essentially increases free space on a hard disk. Thus the information capacity increase is frequent reaches values in hundreds megabytes for the drives which size is calculated all by units of gigabytes. For more modern and perfect disk drives characterised considerably bolshej in size, the scoring from compression can already make gigabytes and even tens gigabytes.

Operation of the user with the compressed programs and data occurs the same as and to the usual files which have been not subjected to a compression. Moreover, as practice shows, at compression usage is not observed even essential lowering of real productivity of system. First of all, it is linked by that the methods taken as a principle and algorithms of a compression and dekompressii are simple enough and effective, and file system NTFS is organically integrated into modern and high-powered operating systems which concern Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000.

Estimating possibilities of file system NTFS, it is necessary to remind once again, that the last some years a unique more or less popular and known resource of compression of the information, hranimoj on hard disks, was also rather long time there was known program DriveSpace. Thus, as it was marked above, the greatest distribution was received by the third version of this program, known to users under name DriveSpace 3.

Program DriveSpace is included into a package of operating systems, since Windows 95 OSR2. For Windows 95 operating system it is necessary to instal Microsoft Plus software package! for Windows 95, including program DriveSpace. However, despite comparative popularity of similar resources, in OS of Windows NT/2000 the given program is absent, as well as appropriate support of the disks compressed by these program.

First of all, it is necessary to mark, that program DriveSpace possesses a number of limitations. So, for example, by means of this program it is possible to compress only disks with file system FAT16. Besides, it is necessary to consider what to compress it is possible only logical disks entirely, and, there is a limitation on informational size: the compressed disk should not exceed size of 2 Gbytes. Thus it is necessary to consider and the losses linked to a cluster size (32 Kbytes).

However unlike FAT16 for which program DriveSpace is calculated, file system NTFS allows to compress separate files and limitation on size of logical disks, practically, no. Actually it is available, but considering its size — 2 Tbyte, it is possible to consider, that the limit is absent. In addition to told expediently to underline, that processes of a compression and dekompressii for NTFS are much easier and are carried out much faster, than in case of usage FAT16 and program DriveSpace.

Estimating possibilities of file system NTFS, it is necessary to mark, that storage of the compressed data for DriveSpace occurs in a uniform file. This circumstance reduces dependability of storage on hard disks of the information subjected to a packing by means of program DriveSpace a little.

Thus, it is possible to make the conclusion, that compression by means of file system NTFS is more preferable on such major metrics, as convenience of usage and speed of operation, together with dependability of storage of programs and data.

It is necessary to mark some features of file compression and folders in NTFS.

1. Each file is compressed individually. Thus some files are compressed with bolshej efficiency, others - with smaller.
2. Files and the folders advanced or duplicated in compressed folders (directories) and sections (disks), automatically are exposed to compression process.
3. Compressed files and the folders advanced or duplicated in not compressed folders and sections, are automatically unclenched.
4. Files and the folders created in compressed folders and sections (disks), are automatically compressed.
5. Files and the folders created in not compressed folders and sections, are not compressed.