Sun Microsystems has released its new Zettabyte File System (ZFS) to developers as part of OpenSolaris.  

A file system determines how data is structured and stored on a hard drive or series of hard drives.

The new file system, which will be included with Solaris 10 starting 6 May, supports x86 and Sparc processors.

ZFS was built from the ground up and claims to eliminate the need for volumes and partitions.

"There is no more complexity about creating volumes, around making things grow and shrink," said Glenn Weinberg, vice president of Sun's operating platforms group. "It's all automated. You don't have to think about what's happening underneath."

ZFS promises a better integrity through a combination of features. The technology does not overwrite data on a disk like current generation file systems, but saves the new data first and then deletes the information that it replaces. This prevents data loss in the case of a system outage.

The file system also has built in checks designed to prevent data corruption.

ZFS is the word's first 128-bit file system, the developer claimed. A 128-bit system has 18 billion times the storage capacity of a current generation 64-bit system.

In theory the technology will ensure that users will not run into any problems with file sizes when operating a server.

The technology has been released under the same terms that apply to Sun's OpenSolaris project, meaning that the code is governed by the open source Common Distribution and Development License. 

Sun will also start bundling its Xen virtualisation technology with the Solaris operating system as well as Solaris containers for Linux Applications. Both technologies will be available in OpenSolaris by the end of this year and in Solaris 10 on 6 May.

Xen allows users to create a virtual partition on a server where they can run the Linux operating system on top of Solaris. The containers also target Linux users, offering the ability to run a Linux application on Solaris.

Finally Sun said that it will start shipping the PostgreSQL open source database bundled with Solaris and offer support for the application.