As many instances of OpenTP1 file creation and deletion are performed, it may become impossible to create a new OpenTP1 file because a sufficient amount of contiguous area cannot be allocated even though the OpenTP1 file system has adequate free space. Garbage collection rearranges the used areas in the OpenTP1 file system in order to defragment the free space.

The following figure shows garbage collection in an OpenTP1 file system.

Figure 4-1 Garbage collection in OpenTP1 file system

Following is the garbage collection procedure:

1. Back up the OpenTP1 file system with the filbkup command
2. Initialize the backed up OpenTP1 file system with the filmkfs command
3. Restore the backup file into the initialized OpenTP1 file system with the filrstr command

Executing the filstatfs command with the -S option specified enables you to check the status of contiguous areas in the OpenTP1 file system. Then, based on these checking results, when you delete an unneeded OpenTP1 file, the preceding and succeeding free areas are linked, securing a larger contiguous free area.