Comment on Sparse File LRU CacheComments−avmich7moWe can talk about even more general idea of saving file space: compression. Ever heard about it used across the whole filesystems?−fh9737moMost compressible file formats are already compressed, and with compression you lose efficient non-sequential IO.−praseodym7moMicrosoft MS-DOS and Windows supported this in the 90s with DriveSpace, and modern file systems like btrfs and zfs also support transparent compression.−eeeficus7moYou introduce overhead on both read and write without being a better solution to OPs problem.
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We can talk about even more general idea of saving file space: compression. Ever heard about it used across the whole filesystems?
Most compressible file formats are already compressed, and with compression you lose efficient non-sequential IO.
Microsoft MS-DOS and Windows supported this in the 90s with DriveSpace, and modern file systems like btrfs and zfs also support transparent compression.
You introduce overhead on both read and write without being a better solution to OPs problem.