1.2.6 Files

Exascale is optimized to directly store and manage files associated with Oracle Database and Oracle Grid Infrastructure.

When Oracle Database or Oracle Grid Infrastructure creates a file inside a vault, Exascale automatically understands the file type. By using a template that is associated with the file type, Exascale automatically applies the appropriate file storage attributes. This process indirectly determines the storage pool that houses the file.

You can also use the Exascale Command Line (ESCLI) mkfile command to create a file. By this means, you can explicitly set the file storage attributes, or you can influence the file storage attributes by specifying the file type or applying a specific template. You can then use the ESCLI putfile command to copy the contents of a file into Exascale.

To maximize space efficiency, storage space is physically materialized only when the file contents is written. For example, if you use the ESCLI mkfile command to create a file, the file initially consumes no physical storage space regardless of the specified file size. The file only consumes physical storage space when data is written to it.

Technically, you can store any type of files inside an Exascale vault. However, Exascale is optimized to manage Oracle Database files, which are typically much larger than regular files. To optimally store and manage regular files, you can define a block volume on Exascale, attach the volume to a server, and then use the volume attachment to support a file system. See Exascale Block Store.