Disk Space Management: Storage Optimization for Linux Servers

This article introduces the necessity, methods, and optimization strategies for disk space management on Linux servers. Insufficient disk space can lead to software installation failures, service errors, and even system crashes, thus requiring reasonable management. Core concepts include inodes (which record file metadata and are prone to exhaustion first) and blocks (the smallest unit for data storage). Tools for checking: `df -h` for overall space, `du -sh`/`du -ah` for directory sizes, and `df -i` for inode issues. Common problems and solutions: oversized logs (managed automatically by logrotate or manually cleared), temporary file accumulation (via tmpwatch or deleting files in /tmp), uncleaned large files (using find to locate large files), and unreasonable partitioning (adjusting LVM or separating partitions). For long-term optimization, regular backup cleanup, using external storage to share pressure, and setting up alert monitoring are recommended. Always confirm before deletion to avoid randomly clearing logs. The core principles are regular inspection, proactive cleanup, and long-term planning to ensure server stability.