file fragmentation project

[Bart Nessux]

Thanks for the advice Kirk, I appreciate it.

Kirk Strauser wrote:
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> At 2004-06-02T21:10:02Z, Bart Nessux <bart_nessux at hotmail.com> writes:
> 
> 
>>In particular, I'd like to write a file fragmentor in Python that will
>>randomly fragment x% of files on a NTFS filesystem into y number of
>>fragments.
> 
> 
> You may or may not be able to do so, depending on how smart your exact
> version of NTFS decides to be on that given day.  Still, the standard
> algorithm to fragment a file m bytes long into n pieces is:
> 
>    1) Create n * 2 files, each (m/n) bytes long.
>    2) Delete every other file.
>    3) Write the file to be fragmented, and hope that the filesystem naively
>       shoves it into the empty holes.
>    4) Delete the remaining "pad" files.
> 
> A similar algorithm is to replace step 1 with:
> 
>    1) Fill the entire drive with files (m/n) bytes long.
> 
> If the filesystem isn't smart enough to rearrange empty blocks, then that
> should to the trick.
> 
> 
>>Anyway, would Python be acceptable for this type of project? Speed is
>>somewhat important, but not extremely.
> 
> 
> You bet.  Filesystem speed will be the limiting factor.
> - -- 
> Kirk Strauser
> The Strauser Group
> Open. Solutions. Simple.
> http://www.strausergroup.com/
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