{
  "slug": "ltfs-data-placement-policy",
  "term": "LTFS data placement policy",
  "aliases": [
    "LTFS placement policy"
  ],
  "definition": "An LTFS data placement policy specifies which file data may be stored in the index partition alongside filesystem metadata.",
  "note": "IBM Spectrum Archive supports a file-size limit and optional filename patterns, applied together when both are specified. Its documentation illustrates placing selected small files in the index partition for faster access after mounting. This is a placement rule, not a second filesystem or a backup policy. The index partition has limited capacity; overly broad criteria can exhaust it. [c1]",
  "status": "shipping",
  "advantages": [
    {
      "text": "Selected small files can be made available with less tape positioning after mount.",
      "citationIds": [
        "c1"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [],
  "related": [
    "ltfs",
    "ltfs-index",
    "lto",
    "tape"
  ],
  "supersedes": [],
  "supersededBy": [],
  "firstSeen": null,
  "lastSeen": null,
  "updated": "2026-10-15",
  "citations": [
    {
      "id": "c1",
      "title": "IBM Spectrum Archive SDE and LE: Installation and Configuration Guide, formatting options and section 3.5.4",
      "url": "https://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg248090.pdf",
      "accessed": "2026-10-15"
    }
  ]
}