In part 2 of this series, the focus is on the BSD Fast Filing System, which aimed to fix the structural problems of the original Unix filesystem. The paper highlights the innovation of the BSD FFS layout, optimizing disk I/O throughput by understanding CHS geometry and incorporating several layout policies for file placement. The FFS introduces long inode numbers and block addresses, enabling larger filesystem sizes and file lengths. Additionally, it introduces features such as symlinks, a rename system call, and usage quotas to enhance filesystem functionality. The FFS optimizations provided a significant performance advantage until the advent of integrated hard drive controllers and LBA addressing.
https://blog.koehntopp.info/2023/05/06/50-years-in-filesystems-1984.html