A filesystem where unused files slowly "freeze" over time. Frozen files take longer to access, and extremely frozen files become read-only until "thawed."
What is FrostFS?
FrostFS is an intelligent filesystem that automatically manages file accessibility based on usage patterns. Just like ice forming on a cold window, files that aren't used gradually accumulate "frost" - becoming slower to access and eventually read-only until explicitly thawed.
See It In Action
Watch the demo video to see a quick overview of FrostFS's basic(cli, tui and the web interface) features—without having to install anything first.
The Freezing Process:
- Active → Chilled → Frozen → Deep Frozen → Glacier Storage
Features
Core Freezing System
- Automatic State Transitions: Files automatically progress through freezing states based on access time
- Configurable Timing: Set your own chill/freeze/deep-freeze time thresholds
- Access Delays: Frozen files incur access delays simulating "thawing time"
- Read-Only Protection: Deep frozen files become read-only until thawed
Advanced Freezing Features
Ice Crystals
Files accumulate fragmentation over time when frozen, simulating ice crystal formation:
- Fragmentation increases access delays
- Defragmentation process to restore performance
- Visual fragmentation percentage tracking
Frost Patterns
Visual representation of file states with emoji patterns:
💧Active - Recently accessed files❄️Chilled - Some delay in access🧊Frozen - Significant access delay🏔️Deep Frozen - Read-only, requires thawing
Seasonal Thawing
Automatic batch thawing cycles based on seasons:
- Spring: Aggressive thawing (80% of frozen files)
- Summer: Moderate thawing (50%)
- Autumn: Light thawing (20%)
- Winter: No thawing - preservation mode
Freezing Algorithms
Multiple intelligent freezing strategies:
- Standard: Time-based freezing only
- Intelligent: Considers access frequency patterns
- Predictive: Predicts future access based on historical patterns
Antifreeze
Some files naturally resist freezing:
- Temporary files, logs, caches resist freezing
- File extensions and patterns affect antifreeze strength
- Configurable antifreeze properties
Glacier Storage
Deep archival system with cost-based recovery:
- Automatic archiving of deeply frozen files
- Compression for storage efficiency
- Recovery cost calculation
- Manual restore operations
Thermal Imaging
Heat maps of file activity:
- Visual representation of "hot" and "cold" files
- Access frequency and recency scoring
- Color-coded activity levels
Freeze Propagation
Directory-level freezing operations:
- Apply freezing policies to entire directories
- Inherited state management
- Batch operations on directory trees
Commandline Interface
# Initialize a FrostFS directory
frostfs init ./my_frost_storage
# Write a file
frostfs write hello.txt "Hello World" -f ./my_frost_storage
# Read a file (with auto-thaw)
frostfs read hello.txt -f ./my_frost_storage --thaw
# List files with frost patterns
frostfs list -f ./my_frost_storage --details
# Show filesystem statistics
frostfs stats -f ./my_frost_storage
# Manually freeze a file
bin/frostfs freeze frozen_file.txt -f ./my_frost_storage
# Thaw frozen files
frostfs thaw frozen_file.txt -f ./my_frost_storageTerminal User Interface (TUI)
TUI Features
- Dual-pane file browser with color-coded frost states
- Keyboard navigation (arrows, tab, enter)
- File operations (freeze, thaw, defragment)
- Batch operations menu
- Thermal map visualization
- Real-time file information
Web Interface
FrostFS also provides a browser-based GUI made using Ruby on Rails for easier management and visualization of the filesystem.:
https://github.com/arungeorgesaji/FrostFS-Web
Web Features
- Dashboard & Analytics
- File Management
- Visualizations
- System Operations
- Monitoring
P.S: Attached the gem file for the main frostfs library here so you can try out scripts in examples/ if you want. Use the following command to install the gem from the gem file:
gem install frostfs-0.1.0.gem