Two commands that you can use to test and make recommendations about the best modulo for a file are ISTAT and HASH-TEST. It is recommended that the system administrator frequently check the File Statistics Report, which is produced by a full backup or file-save, to look for files that may need resizing.
Once you have discovered that a file seems to be out of trim, you can use HASH-TEST to show how the items would be reallocated if you used a given modulo for the file. HASH-TEST performs exactly the same function as ISTAT but on a "what if" basis. ISTAT and HASH-TEST are discussed in detail below, followed by a discussion of how to resize files with inefficient modulos.
For purposes of illustration, the results of these commands are shown for both the default Master Dictionary that is created in a new user’s account, and for the same data after it has been copied to another file with a different, much less effective modulo.
The following topics are presented in this section:
Analyzing File Structure with ISTAT
Testing File Structure with HASH-TEST
See Also