sam_worm(5)

NAME
     sam_worm - SAM-QFS Write Once Read Many (WORM) features

AVAILABILITY
     SUNWqfs SUNWsamfs

DESCRIPTION
     The Write Once Read Many (WORM) feature is available in  the
     SAM-QFS  filesystem.   The WORM feature allows you to retain
     files for a specified period of time.  This period can be as
     long  as the life of the system or as short as 1 minute, and
     is stored in filesystem metadata.  A SAM-QFS  filesystem  is
     made "WORM-capable" by one of the following mount options:

       o worm_capable

       o worm_lite

       o worm_emul

       o emul_lite

     These mount options control the  actions  needed  to  enable
     WORM  files and directories and the actions that can be per-
     formed on these files  and  directories  once  they're  made
     WORM-capable.   A  directory  is  made WORM capable when the
     WORM trigger is applied to it.  Likewise,  a  file  is  made
     into  a  WORM  file  when  the WORM trigger is applied to an
     ordinary file in a WORM capable directory.  Note,  the  file
     must be fully populated before the trigger is applied as the
     file's contents can't be modified afterward.   SAM-QFS  sup-
     ports two WORM triggers, they are:

       o chmod 4000 filename

       o chmod -w filename

     The "chmod 4000"  command  is  the  WORM  trigger  when  the
     "worm_capable"  or "worm_lite" mount option is used.  Remov-
     ing the write permissions, that is, the  transition  from  a
     writable  to  read-only  file  is  the WORM trigger when the
     "worm_emul" or "emul_lite" mount option is used.

  The WORM trigger and Retention Periods
     When the WORM trigger is applied to a file or  directory,  a
     period  of  time, known as a retention period, is associated
     with it.  The retention period is used to indicate how  long
     a  file  will  be protected from change.  When a file has an
     active retention period, it can not be renamed, removed,  or
     have  its  path altered. When the period expires, a file may
     only be removed or have its retention period extended.

     The retention period can be set or extended by advancing the
     access  time  of  the  associated  file  or  directory.  The
     difference between the current time and the access  time  is
     used  as the retention period.  Setting the retention period
     on a directory sets the default retention period  for  files
     created  in  the directory.  This period is applied to files
     if a retention period is not specified when the WORM trigger
     is  used.  In addition, this period is inherited by all sub-
     directories created in this directory. Note,  a  directory's
     default  retention  period  can  be  increased or decreased,
     while a file's period can only be increased.

  Default Retention Periods
     A default retention period can also be set using  the  mount
     option  "def_retention=n",  where  "n"  is  a simple integer
     value representing minutes or a variable format MyNdOhPm  in
     which M, N, O, P are arbitrary non-negative integers and the
     characters y, d, h, m represent the number of  years,  days,
     hours, and minutes.  The default retention period is applied
     to a directory if a retention period is not  specified  when
     the WORM trigger is applied.  If no default period is given,
     the system default of 30 days is used.

  WORM Lite
     The WORM lite option relaxes some  of  the  restrictions  on
     WORM  files.   This  is  enabled  when  the  "worm_lite"  or
     "emul_lite"  mount  options  are  used.   Only  the   system
     administrator is allowed to carry out the following actions:

       o Shorten retention periods on files

       o Remove retained files before their period expires

       o Rebuild "lite" enabled volumes (using sammkfs)

     WORM Lite is a solution for document management  and  reten-
     tion  policies  requiring  data retention guarantees without
     the strict constraints that full WORM implementations  place
     on systems.