In computing, a fileset is a set of computer files linked by defining property or common characteristic. There are different types of fileset though the context will usually give the defining characteristic. Sometimes it is necessary to explicitly state the fileset type to avoid ambiguity, an example is the emacs editor which explicitly mentions its Version Control (VC) fileset type to distinguish from its "named files" fileset type.
While there is probably no classification of fileset types some common usage cases do emerge:
Fileset has several meanings and usages, depending on the context. Some examples are:
In the AIX operating system installation packaging system it is the smallest individually installable unit (a collection of files that provides a specific function).
DCE/DFS uses the term fileset to define a tree containing directories, files, and mount points (links to other DFS filesets). A DFS fileset is also a unit of administrative control. Properties such as data location, storage quota, and replication are controlled at this level of granularity. The concept of a fileset in DFS is essentially identical to the concept of a volume in AFS. The glamor filesystem uses the same concept of filesets. Filesets are lightweight components compared to file systems, so management of a file set is easier.
In IBM GPFS represents a set of files within a file system which have an independent inode space.