Why is INDEXF.SYS always fragmented?

INDEXF.SYS is used by OpenVMS not only for file headers, but also as a container file for the three OpenVMS home blocks. These blocks are duplicated in physically distant locations to maximize the probability that at least one of them will be intact, following a physical failure of the disk. Accordingly, it is not possible to make the INDEXF.SYS file completely contiguous, and Diskeeper does not do so, nor does any other means of defragmentation, such as BACKUP/RESTORE. However, Diskeeper 7.1 and later versions includes the Indexkeeper utility, which will defragment INDEXF.SYS on an unmounted disk, restoring it to its initial, minimally fragmented, state.

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