Filbytes

Filbytes are units of data used in certain file storage systems to represent portions of a file after fragmentation and encoding. They are designed to enable efficient streaming, indexing, and deduplication by replacing fixed-size blocks with variable-length units that can adapt to the content being stored. In typical implementations, a file is composed of a sequence of filbytes, each carrying a payload segment along with a compact header that indicates its length, encoding type, and integrity information.

A filbyte's header contains a length field and one or more flag bits that describe how the payload is encoded (for example, raw binary, compressed, or encrypted). The payload length is variable, allowing small segments to be stored with minimal overhead and larger segments to be packed more densely when possible. To support integrity, a lightweight checksum or content hash may accompany the payload, enabling deduplication and rapid comparisons without reading the full data.

Filbytes are usually organized into higher-level structures such as filblocks, which group adjacent filbytes for storage efficiency, and filtrees, which provide fast offset-based lookup. A file offset is mapped to a specific filbyte through a metadata index that records the starting offset of each filblock or filtree node. This arrangement facilitates random access and streaming without needing to decompress the entire file.

The concept emerged in research and experimental storage systems, where developers sought to balance granularity, metadata overhead, and transfer efficiency. Its adoption remains limited and varies by implementation, with some systems using filbytes alongside traditional block or byte-addressable schemes.

See also: varint encoding, content-addressable storage, deduplication, chunking, metadata indexing.