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.TH "EXT2_FIND_NEAR" "9" "09 October 2005" "" ""

.SH NAME
ext2_find_near \- find a place for allocation with sufficient locality
.SH SYNOPSIS
"SYNOPSIS"
.sp
\fB
.sp
unsigned long ext2_find_near  (struct inode * \fIinode\fB, Indirect * \fIind\fB);
\fR
.SH "ARGUMENTS"
.TP
\fB\fIinode\fB\fR
owner
.TP
\fB\fIind\fB\fR
descriptor of indirect block.
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
This function returns the prefered place for block allocation.
It is used when heuristic for sequential allocation fails.
.SH "RULES ARE"
.PP
+ if there is a block to the left of our position - allocate near it.
+ if pointer will live in indirect block - allocate near that block.
+ if pointer will live in inode - allocate in the same cylinder group.
.PP
In the latter case we colour the starting block by the callers PID to
prevent it from clashing with concurrent allocations for a different inode
in the same block group.   The PID is used here so that functionally related
files will be close-by on-disk.
.PP
Caller must make sure that \fIind\fR is valid and will stay that way.