What's New in Apple File Systems
Description: Learn about what's new in file system technology, including changes to file system layout and imaging technologies. If you are affected by the new Read Only System Volume, this is a session you will not want to miss.
Protecting System Software
- System integrity protection to prevent file system (FS) modification by malicious software
- System FS will now be read-only
- Connection between read-only and read-write FS by Firmlinks
- Firmlinks
- Consistent forward and backward traversal of the file name space
- For directories only
- Created on the system volume on installation time
- Neither expected to be noticed by any user nor application
- Read-only state can be disabled temporarily until after a reboot
Apple Software Restore (ASR), Volume Replication and Snapshots
- Intention is to copy whole volume content including metadata which is superior to file-only copy
- Usable by Enterprise/Education, IT to setup labs and/or backup utilities
- New: APFS volume replication with ASR
- Decryption / Encryption is no part of generation / restore process (on-the-fly defragmentation)
- Restore and erase target volume:
sudo asr restore --source file.dmg --target /Volumes/Volume2 --erase
- Restore to newly created target volume:
sudo asr restore --source file.dmg --target /dev/disk1
- Restore with snapshots:
sudo asr restore --source file.dmg --target /Volumes/Target --toSnapshot Snap1
- Restore snapshot delta:
sudo asr restore --source file.dmg --target /Volumes/Target --fromSnapshot Snap1 --toSnapshot Snap2
External File Access on iOS
- Access files from network (SMB 3.0) and USB (unencrypted APFS, unencrypted HFS Plus, FAT, ExFAT) sources
- For security reasons all FS manipulations happen in dedicate process space, not in kernel
- Pay attention to volume capabilities (case sensitivity, ...)
- File movement may take time now
- External devices can disappear
This note was originally published at github.com/Blackjacx/WWDC.