Metadata and Journal Data
Xsan records information about the files in an Xsan volume using metadata files and
file system journals. File system metadata includes information such as which specific
parts of which disks are used to store a file and whether the file is being accessed. The
journal data includes a record of file system transactions that help ensure the integrity
of files in the event of a failure.
These files are managed by the Xsan metadata controller but are stored on SAN
volumes, not on the controller itself. Metadata and journal data are stored on the first
storage pool you add to a volume.