Fileset masks to cluster inodes for efficient fileset management

A data processing system comprising:

• a processor;
• a storage facility accessible to the processor;
• and
• a file storage and management facility on which one or more filesets are stored;
• and
• a utility executing on the processor that causes the data processing system to:
• initialize a fileset mask to a first value and an internal inode mask to a second value;
• dynamically update the fileset mask to enable a mapping of the number of one (1) bits in the fileset mask to a fileset identifier (ID) corresponding to a number of filesets received for storage on the storage facility;
• dynamically update the internal inode mask to enable a mapping of the internal inode mask's one (1) bits to at least a maximum number of inodes required by the number of filesets received for storage on the storage facility, wherein the number of one (1) bits within the fileset mask and the internal inode mask are disjoint relative to each other;
• map an external inode number to a corresponding fileset by concatenating individual bits of the external inode number corresponding to each bit within the fileset mask that is set to one (1) to generate the fileset ID;
• and
• map the external inode number to a corresponding internal inode number of the fileset by concatenating individual bits of the external inode number corresponding to each bit within the internal inode mask that is set to one (1) to generate the internal inode number;
• wherein the fileset mask is a sequence of binary values in which each bit that is set to one (1) represents a bit in an external inode number that is to be utilized to determine the fileset ID being referenced by the external inode number;
• and
• wherein the internal inode mask is a sequence of binary values in which each bit that is set to one (1) represents a bit in an external inode number that is to be utilized to determine the internal inode number of a corresponding fileset being referenced by the external inode number.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer usable storage device;
• and
• program code embedded on the computer usable storage device that when executed by a processor of a data processing system having access to a file storage and management facility performs the following functions:
• initializing a fileset mask to a first value and an internal inode mask to a second value;
• dynamically updating the fileset mask to enable a mapping of the number of one (1) bits in the fileset mask to a fileset identifier (ID) corresponding to a number of filesets received for storage on the storage facility;
• dynamically updating the internal inode mask to enable a mapping of the internal inode mask's one (1) bits to at least a maximum number of inodes required by the filesets received for storage on the storage facility, wherein the one (1) bits within the fileset mask and the internal inode mask are disjoint relative to each other;
• mapping an external inode number to a corresponding fileset by concatenating individual bits of the external inode number corresponding to each bit within the fileset mask that is set to one (1) to generate the fileset ID;
• and
• mapping the external inode number to a corresponding internal inode number of the fileset by concatenating individual bits of the external inode number corresponding to each bit within the internal inode mask that is set to one (1) to generate the internal inode number;
• wherein the fileset mask is a sequence of binary values in which each bit that is set to one (1) represents a bit in an external inode number that is to be utilized to determine the fileset ID being referenced by the external inode number;
• and
• wherein the internal inode mask is a sequence of binary values in which each bit that is set to one (1) represents a bit in an external inode number that is to be utilized to determine the internal inode number of a corresponding fileset being referenced by the external inode number.