NTFS General properties
  Cluster size of NTFS smaller than FAT 32. 
    Max of 4KiB (8 sector) clusters.

  Files up to 16TiB in size.

  No more than 4 billion files per volume.

  NTFS does not do writethrough, but buffers files in memory. 
    So not functional on removable media.

  Supports transaction logging and checkpoints
    Meaning its possible to reverse an action.

  Monitors and patches bad clusters on the fly.

  Extended security support,
    ownership (user and group) of files allowing for restricted access.

  Provides encryption.

  Provides dynamic compression.

  Provides disk quotas.

  Filenames up to 255 characters.

  Supports hard links - must be on same volume.
    Multiple names that reference a single file record.

  Versions
    NTFS 3.1 
    NTFS 3.51 (1)
    NTFS 4.0 (1.1)
    NTFS 5.0 (Win 2000, XP)

NTFS - new technology file system.
  Created as an alternative to FAT for NT OS.
    Based on MS involvement with HPFS (IBM)

  Supports up to 16TiB using 32 bit cluster numbering.
    Capable of 64 bit number but not implemented.

    However, MBR still only references sectors so actual limit is 2 TiB
 
  NTFS (on Win2000, XP) supports dynamic disk on non-boot volumes.
    Dynamic disk suport uses a special database on each volume.
      Suports single partitons upto 16 TiB
      Multiple (spanning) disks can appear as single disk.
      Striping (Raid 0 style) to provide parallel access.

  Handles data like a relational database.
    Each file is a record.
    Each record contains attributes.
      Such as file's name, size, permissions, ownership.
    
    At least part of each record is stored in the Master file table.
      For small files (< 900 bytes),
        all of file's data may be one of the attributes.

      For large files, 
        attributes hold pointers to clusters holding data.

    Additional attributes can be added if properties of a file changes.

  Almost all structures in NTFS considered files.
    Including Meta-files - files about files used to record info about files. 
      Lists of files on partition, cluster allocation, etc.

  Almost everything processed as a file

  Exception is the partition(volume) boot record - accessed before OS is up..
    (up to 16 entries)
    Volume information.
    Extended BIOS parameters - such as location of metafiles.
    OS Bootstrap program. 
 
  NTFS uses pair of 16 sector volume boot records.
    1st at sector 0
    2nd at middle of volume (NT 3.51) 
    or end of volue (NT 4.0 ^, Win 2000,XP)

  Master File Table (like the FAT, only completely different).
    Each entry in the MFT is like a database record.

    The MFT contains an entry for every file (including other meta-files)
    and directory on partition.

    1st 16 MFT records reseved for the other meta-files needed by NTFS. 

    0 - a reference to the MFT itself
    1 - reference to a mirror of the MFT, stored at other end of partition.  
    2 - transaction log file (used for error recovery). 
    3 - volume info - name, size, and other info about the partition itself.
    4 - attributes - list of types of attributes available on partition.
    5 - pointer to root directory of volume. 
    6 - map of free and used clusters.
    7 - 2nd copy of boot code found in volume boot record.
    8 - list of bad clusters, can be updated dynamically.
    9 - quota information. NT 5.0 supports quotas.
   10 - info for converting filenames to Unicode (16-bit)
   11-15 Not yet in use - one of the features of NTFS is the built ability
      for simple implementation of future updates.
   
    The size of a record in the MFT is matched to the cluster size of the
    partition.
  
    NTFS is capable storing the data contents or "attributes" of each record 
    either in the record (resident attribute) or outside (non-resident).
    It uses a technique similar to the extended pointers in a Unix inode,
    including pointers to pointers.
  
    This allows for data larger than the standard space in an MFT record,
    to be managed.

    Extended attributes stored in a b-tree structure.
      Slow to initially record.
      Very quick to retrieve.

    12.5 % of a volume is reserved for the MFT.
      Smaller files stored in MFT.
      Its possible to change this, 4 setting possible.
        It should be increased of a large # of small files to be stored.

    If extended attributes use up available space,
      OS will reclaim some of the MFT reserved space.

Long filenames
  255 characters.  
  Short filename alias also supported.
    Created by hashing long filename.
    If several names start with the same 1st 6 characters,
      Hash may generate a very strange filename with lots of digits.

Advantage
  Much more efficient that FAT32 for large systems.

Disadvantage
  Currently, most other OSes (Linux, Beos) can read but cannot write 
    to a NTFS filesystem.