HP-UX 11i Internals

LVM Design Concept

Why have multiple file systems? Most UNIX file systems allow a file to grow within the boundary of the volume on which it was created. As such, a single runaway file may completely fill a file system. A file system that is 100 percent full presents challenges to the kernel when it needs to manage the space. If file systems holding operating system directories are filled, the kernel may have difficulties performing many of its tasks and in an extreme case even crash.

To avoid this scenario, most administrators prefer to create a number of individual file systems, sizing each to match its use. This allows the isolation of system directories (e.g., /usr, /lib) from user (e.g., /home) and application (e.g., /opt, /var/opt) directories. ...