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> Sun released the Z File System (ZFS) code under the Common Development and Distribution License, version 1 (CDDLv1) as part of OpenSolaris ZFS isn't an acron

by laumars 11y ago

> Sun released the Z File System (ZFS) code under the Common Development and Distribution License, version 1 (CDDLv1) as part of OpenSolaris ZFS isn't an acronym. It used to stand for Zettabyte File System (not Z File System as the article states), but like BP (formally British Petroleum), ZFS is no longer an acronym. I wouldn't normally nitpick over something like this but that statement was the first sentence under the heading "The Basic Facts" and they didn't even get it's former name right.

ryao 11y ago
It still stands for Zettabyte File System. That has never changed.
- laumars 11y ago
  According to Jeff Bonwick, one of ZFS's lead developers, it did change. He discussed this point in detail (https://blogs.oracle.com/bonwick/en_US/entry/you_say_zeta_i_say https://blogs.oracle.com/bonwick/en_US/entry/you_say_zeta_i_...), however I'll just quote the last couple of paragraphs for brevity: "But zettabyte wasn't perfect, actually. We (we were a team by now) found that when you call it the zettabyte filesystem, you have to explain what a zettabyte is, and by then the elevator has reached the top floor and all people know is that you're doing large capacity. Which is true, but it's not the main point. "So we finally decided to unpimp the name back to ZFS, which doesn't stand for anything. It's just a pseudo-acronym that vaguely suggests a way to store files that gets you a lot of points in Scrabble."
  - ryao 11y ago
    I stand corrected.