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[Randal Schwartz]

In article <2640 at ttardis.UUCP>, lfm at ttardis (Keith Tonge) writes:
| The application I'm working on creates a sub directory and a
| couple of sub directories under that for each new "case".  The
| case number is a seven byte numberic field.  As an example the
| new case that is created has a case number of 23702.  The
| directory structure would be something like:
| /usr
|  .  /htc
|  .   .  /23702
|  .   .    .   /primary
|  .   .    .   /document
| 
| The problem I'm experiencing is that UNIX imposes a limit of 998
| sub-directories ( plus . and .. which makes total of 1000) in any
| one directory.

If you can change the application, make it put stuff in:

/usr
  /htc
    /23
      /23702
        /primary
        /document
      /23703
        /primary
        /document
    /24
      /24001
        /primary
        /document

In other words, use the first two digits as an index into a superior
directory.  Then you'll have 1000 max entries in each level.  (1000
entries is still wayyy too much to search through, though.  Why are
you making the unix filesystem do the job of a database?)

If you can't change the application, throw it away.  That's a silly
mechanism (half :-).

Just another UNIX hacker,
-- 
/=Randal L. Schwartz, Stonehenge Consulting Services (503)777-0095 ==========\
| on contract to Intel's iWarp project, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, Sol III      |
| merlyn at iwarp.intel.com ...!any-MX-mailer-like-uunet!iwarp.intel.com!merlyn |
\=Cute Quote: "Intel put the 'backward' in 'backward compatible'..."=========/