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[orleff]

How can I defragmet the files on my DNS-343? 

[ECF]

The DNS-343 does not have an option to run a defragmentation your drives you would need a third party program to do this action.

[orleff]

Any recomendations? What are you gyus using for this task?

[ECF]

I do not run deframentation my drives as the EXT2 or EXT3 file system does not fragment as FAT, FAT32, or NTFS and is not needed dues to the way the data is written but some people may see it needed still and there is software out there you can get to do this task. Also this device is designed for storage use.

[chaicka]

House-Keeping/Maintenance of NAS is one area that's seriously lacking in SOHO NAS of today. It should be an area worth exploring as I am sure no matter how good a file system is, there will definitely be a need for housekeeping/maintenance tasks. Furthermore, it's RAID so there should be some basic maintenance actions that should be build into the NAS Web GUI.

Intel Matrix Storage Manager (for ICH9R) version 8.5 should be a good reference on some of the features that users would expect a RAID-capable device to include in its GUI.

[bspvette86]

I do not run deframentation my drives as the EXT2 or EXT3 file system does not fragment as FAT, FAT32, or NTFS and is not needed dues to the way the data is written

ECF,
This rumor needs to be put to rest.  EXT2 and EXT3 do fragment.  Perhaps you have forgotten the results found in other threads such as http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=2186.msg11423#msg11423


I laugh out loud every time I see someone post that EXT2 does not really need to be defragmented.  Just for kicks on 09/07/2008, I backed up everything on my DNS-323, blew away everthing, and reformatted it as "individual disks".  I then copied everything back twice, once to each Volume.  Volume_1 was loaded with a 10 stream FTP copy.  Volume_2 was loaded with a sequential 1 stream FTP copy.   Would you like to guess which volume performed better and by how much?  I was SHOCKED   to find that reading a 500 MB .mpg file took 3 times longer on Volume_1 than on Volume_2. 

Please do not tell us how EXT2 does not fragment.  Or are non-contiguous files not the same as fragmented? 

Cheers!
BSPVette

[Fatman]

It is not correct to say that EXT* does not fragment, but rather that it less much less likely to fragment.  What ECF was trying to say, is what has been said by the people maintaining the EXT* filesystems for years, under reasonable circumstances fragmentation is not the issue it is with the common FAT filesystems, or even as much as it is in NTFS.

It is not correct to say it isn't an issue, however it is not an issue that will concern people under usual usage and it is certainly not an issue they can do anything about.

That said no filesystem will be able to avoid fragmentation under multiple concurrent high volume writes from an off-system source.  Your test would be ruinous reguardless of the filesystem.

What I can tell you is that as has already been mentioned there is no way to defragment EXT3 (removing the journal and making it EXT2 would not qualify).  And that EXT2 has a single and antiquated tool for the purpose.  Even then you have to take the storage offline (this is not coincidental, in fact it is best practice to do so on any filesystem).  Clearly the development base didn't see fit to change that for a reason...

[fordem]

Over the years, I have seen (and participated) in several debates as to the need for defragmentation with the linux file systems - I have received considerable opposition from linux "afficionados" (and I am being polite here) who merely regurgitate what they have read, without really understanding the issues - everyone backed down when I offered to prepare and send them a badly fragmented disk in either ext2/3 (their choice) format, provided they were willing to pay the shipping.

Because these linux afficionados cling to the theory that the files systems do not fragment and so defragmentation tools are not required, no work is being done on any tools - however - the use of linux in NAS boxes such as these, increases the possibility/probability of fragmentation - NAS systems can be reasonably expected to have multiple data streams written to them - and for what it's worth, I can create a fragmented disk writing one data stream at a time.

None of the answers coming from DLink really address the problem - the first answer suggests the use of third party tools, but faileds to identify any, even when prompted, instead taking cover under the old "linux file systems do not need defragmenting" umbrella - I was looking forward to that answer because it is my belief (whether right or wrong) that the defragementation tool would have to be on run on the NAS itself and not across the network, and DLink provides no way to run third party tools on the DNS-323.

This last answer also sidesteps the issue.

Fragmentation occurs and causes performance issues - there is no point in lamenting the fact that the tools do not exist - someone has to create them - who better than the manufacturer of the hardware?

[bspvette86]

How can I defragmet the files on my DNS-343? 

Back all your data up.  Reformat the DNS-### drives.  Restore your data.

Cheers!
BSPvette86