File system limits

This topic contains the values for the system limits that are related to file systems.

They include limits on the number of documents in a folder, the size of a document, and the size of a stream file, among others.

Table 1. File system limits
File system limits	Value
Maximum number of libraries in the system part of the library list	15
Maximum number of libraries in the user part of the library list¹	250
Maximum number of objects in a library	Approximately 360 000
Maximum number of documents and folders (DLOs) in a user ASP	349 000
Maximum number of DLOs in a folder	65 510
Maximum size of a document	2 gigabytes - 1
Maximum cumulative number of objects across the "root" (/), QOpenSys, and user-defined file systems of ASPs 1 through 32	2 147 483 647
Maximum cumulative number of objects across the user-defined file systems for each Independent ASP	2 147 483 647
Maximum cumulative number of user-defined file systems in ASPs 1 through 32	2 147 483 647
Maximum number of user-defined files systems in an Independent ASP	Approximately 4000
Maximum number of directories in one *TYPE1 directory in the "root" (/), QOpenSys, or user-defined file systems	32 765
Maximum number of directories in one *TYPE2 directory in the "root" (/), QOpenSys, or user-defined file systems	999 998
Maximum number of *TYPE1 directory links for an object in the "root" (/), QOpenSys, or user-defined file systems	32 767
Maximum number of *TYPE2 directory links for an object in the "root" (/), QOpenSys, or user-defined file systems	1 000 000
Maximum size of a stream file	1 terabyte
Maximum file size that can be read or written using the iSeries™ Access File Server	4 gigabytes
Default maximum number of file and socket descriptors per job²	200
Maximum number of file and socket descriptors per job	2 500 000
Maximums for directory levels, path names, and object attributes and links	See the File System Comparison topic in the Information Center.
Maximum number of files that the iSeries Access File Server can have open at one time³	16 776 960
Maximum number of scan descriptors per job⁴	Approximately 524 000
Notes: There are compatibility considerations for application programs that retrieve library lists and are not prepared for the longer lists. For more details, see the V5R1 Memo to Users. Default can be changed with DosSetRelMaxFH() - Change the Maximum Number of File Descriptors (see UNIX-Type APIs in the Information Center.) This limit is cumulative across all File Server jobs (QPWFSxxxx and QZLSFILE jobs) on the system. Once a file is closed, it no longer counts toward the limit. Some applications that can be affected by this limit are iSeries Access, iSeries NetServer™, Network Station^® boot up (which keeps over 200 files open, unless using Compact Flash Memory which only requires about 25 files) and applications, and the QFileSvr.400 file system. For more information about scan descriptors, see Integrated File System Scan on Open Exit Program in the API topic.