New Linux flash filesystem offers 4X speed
Jan 23, 2008Flash filesystem (FFS) specialist Datalight Inc. will soon release a commercial Linux FFS claimed to provide 400 percent faster write performance and 500 percent faster mount speed compared to JFFS2. The new FFS will target Linux-based mobile phones, set-top boxes, and other embedded devices.
Datalight says its Reliance “high-integrity filesystem” and FlashFX Pro “intelligent flash media manager” were introduced in 1998, and have subsequently been deployed in devices by four major mobile handset makers as well in a variety of military, aerospace, and industrial applications. The new Linux FFS will reportedly support 200 flash components, including NAND, NOR, and fusion flash technologies, and flash memory controllers.
Datalight FlashFX FFS software architecture
Datalight claims that in early tests of its new Linux FFS it has measured mount times of 0.44 seconds on a 56 MB NAND flash chip, compared to 2.32 seconds for JFFS2 and 0.69 seconds for YAFFS2. Test results reportedly show raw sequential write speeds of 2.56MB/s for the Datalight FFS, compared to 0.63MB/s for JFFS2 and 1.09MB/s for YAFFS2. The company says its FFS products include “Dynamic Transaction Point” technology that allows device developers to tune system performance according to specific system designs.
The company claims that many of its existing customers have said they are “disappointed with the currently available [FFS] support” for Linux.
Unlike JFFS2 or YAFFS, Datalight’s Reliance and FlashFX Pro FFS technology is not open source. The Datalight FFS is also covered by a “patented transactional architecture that guarantees reliability and improves boot speeds,” according to the company.
Datalight supplies its FFS products as part of a Windows-hosted software development kit (SDK) that includes ANSI C source, a developer’s guide, an API reference, and validation utilities. The company says the SDK supports “any” 32-bit processor, and that in addition to the new Linux FFS, versions are available targeting Windows CE, VxWorks, and NucleusPLUS.
Further details are available on Datalight’s website.
Have you seen LogFS? It’s yet another Linux flash system (can be also used on normal block devices, though) – see http://logfs.org
Are they kidding? FFS? That’s the name used by BSD for Berkeley’s Fast File System.
Talk about a bunch of idiots… couldn’t they be a bit more creative?
Datalight’s website does not seem to contain the term “FFS” at all; it is used in this article to mean “flash filesystem”.
Uh, not open source? They plan to use FUSE, then?
Hope Mandriva can make use of this for their Flash Drive..
Hello BSD fan, I am one of the product managers for Datalight and wanted to provide some additional information.
The term FFS was used by deviceguru when they re-wrote our press release. We are aware of Berkeley FFS and our press release hence does not use that term (http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080123/aqw150.html?.v=23).
The name of our products are “Reliance” – the transactional file system – and “FlashFX Pro” – the flash media manager. When used together, they comprise the same functionality of a standard “flash file system,” or, FFS.
Roald, regarding the question about open souce. You are right, we are not statically linked to the kernel. We use kernel loadable modules.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at cortney.jacobsen@datalight.com.
Hey BSD Fan.. Amiga’s Fast File System was FFS, could you ask the Berkeley guys to be more creative?
I’m inclined to write .. FFS!!