The cluster file system is based on the proxy file system (PXFS), which has the following features:
PXFS makes file access locations transparent. A process can open a file located anywhere in the system and processes on all nodes can use the same path name to locate a file.
PXFS uses coherency protocols to preserve the UNIX file access semantics even if the file is accessed concurrently from multiple nodes.
PXFS provides extensive caching and provides zero-copy bulk I/O movement to move large data objects efficiently.
PXFS provides continuous access to data, even when failures occur. Applications do not detect failures as long as a path to disks is still operational. This guarantee is maintained for raw disk access and all file system operations.
PXFS is independent of underlying file system and volume management software. PXFS makes any supported on-disk file system global.
PXFS is built on top of the existing Solaris file system at the vnode interface. This interface enables PXFS to be implemented without extensive kernel modifications.
PXFS is not a distinct file system type. That is, clients see the underlying file system (for example, UFS).