As tech lead of the Google Linux Storage Team I get to see how Linux runs on tens of thousands machines in Google's cloud. Over the last year our team migrated this super system from ext2 to ext4, an educational and exciting experience to say the least. We learned a lot about the impact of the Linux file system on Google.
Our team is often bombarded with questions from both within and outside of Google about why we chose ext4, and if the local file system even matters. The Linux Collaboration Summit with its audience of both kernel hackers and business folks interested in Linux deployments seemed like a good forum at which to present on this topic.
So with a lot of help from my team I put together a talk that covers a range of topics. The talk includes how cloud storage is different than both local and enterprise, our reasons behind choosing ext4 and the impact, and where the file systems need to improve to meet the demands of the cloud.
If you are interested in Linux, storage, clouds and some internal tales you might want to check it out.
By Michael Rubin, Google Engineering
