[Discuss] Versioning File Systems

[Richard Pieri]

On 5/3/2012 12:13 PM, Gordon Ross wrote:
> No, but combined with an auto-snapshot service, I'd call it "close".
> You would not get a new version on every file change, but one can
> make snapshots pretty frequently, i.e. every few minutes.
> Anyway, probably getting off topic here.  Sorry.

Not off topic for the list so I'll change the Subject.

Snapshots aren't at all close to versioning.  A versioning file system 
keeps (or can keep; one can usually configure how many versions to keep) 
every version of a file saved.  File system snapshots get the file 
system state when the snapshots are made.

For example: create a ZFS snapshot.  Create a file.  Edit it and save 
it.  Repeat nine more times.  Create another snapshot.  How many 
versions of the file do you have?  You would have just one on ZFS.  You 
would have all eleven on a versioning file system.

-- 
Rich P.