File structure of the NTFS filesystem

NTFS filesystem utilizes many features more peculiar to modern databases.

Let us take an approximately look of how NTFS writes on the disk.

To write a data on the disk the driver opens a record in a journal about start of transaction, NTFS driver verifies that there is enough space on the disk for the data, then driver makes a record about start of the writing, only then writing to the disk is really started. After writing is complete, driver verifies completion of this procedure and closes all previously opened records in journal. If any stage of the process fails, whole transaction counts invalid and is declined. Oh! One more thing, there is 2 MFT’s for more security. Such a sophisticated algorithm seriously reduces performance but also seriously increases reliability of the file system.

In the middle of the 90-th such a low performance was neglected by home users, but now the difference between FAT and NTFS filesystems is not so noticeable. Not to mention that FAT filesystem supports only up to 32 Gb of single logical disk.