A server hard disk has multiple partitions. Each partition can meet different storage and system management requirements. Common partitions include boot partition, root partition, swap partition, home directory partition, log partition, temporary partition, data partition, and other special partition.
The boot partition mainly stores some files needed to start the operating system, such as kernel files and initializing memory disk files. When the system starts, the boot program loads these files in the partition to start the operating system. The main space size is around 100MB-1GB, depending on the operating system and boot program requirements. The file system type is ext4, FAT32, and so on.
The root partition belongs to the main partition of the operating system, the common type is ext4\XFS and so on. The root partition is responsible for all files and directories required for system operation, such as /bin and /usr. It is the top level of the system file hierarchy. Depending on the type of system, the system needs enough space to install the operating system and applications. Most servers require a root partition size of 20GB-50GB.
The swap partition can be used as virtual memory, and when the physical memory is insufficient, the system will move the infrequently used memory pages to the swap partition, which is used to free the physical memory for more needed processes. Generally, the partition size of the server will be 1-2 times the physical memory, depending on the actual use of the server and memory requirements. Physical servers with large memory can reduce the size of swap partitions. The swap partition is only used as a special partition to store memory pages and does not have a file system.
Log partitions can store system log files. Log files increase over time. Separate log partitions to prevent log files from occupying too much space. Generally, 10GB-20GB is used. The size depends on the log generation of the system. Common file system types are ext4, XFS, and so on.
In addition, there are temporary partitions in the server hard disk, which can store temporary files, such as temporary files generated when the system and application programs are running. The temporary partition can be divided separately to prevent temporary files from taking up more space and affecting the use of the system. Common file types include ext4 and tmpfs.
The data partition in the server is mainly put database files, website content, etc., the data partition is mainly about management data, easy to backup and restore, according to the data characteristics can choose the appropriate file system. The partition size is generally based on the amount of application data, such as 100GB- the number of terabytes.
There are also some other special partitions, which can be divided according to special needs to store configuration files and backup files of specific applications.
The Linux operating system has many tools that can be used to manage disk partitions, including command line tools and graphical interface tools. Such as fdisk, parted, gparted and so on.
