Storage device optimization

1. A storage optimization method comprising:

identifying, by a processor of a hardware storage device, a first file of a plurality of files for storage on said hardware storage device;

determining, by said processor, that said first file comprises a first file size that exceeds first multiple physical disk blocks of said hardware storage device by a first fractional value;

dividing, by said processor, said first file into a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion comprises a file size such that said first portion fits entirely within a first single block of said hardware storage device, wherein said second portion comprises a file size such that said second portion exceeds a size of a second single block of said hardware storage device by said first fractional value, and wherein said second single block comprises a second to last sector/block of said hardware storage device;

storing, by said processor, said first portion within said first single block;

determining, by said processor, a threshold percentage value associated with a specified percentage of a size of said first multiple physical disk blocks;

comparing by said processor, said second portion of said first file to said threshold percentage value;

determining, by said processor, that said second portion of said first file is associated with a wasted disk space portion of said first multiple physical disk blocks;

determining, by said processor based on results of said comparing, that said wasted disk space portion exceeds said threshold percentage value;

compressing, by said processor based on results of said comparing, said second portion of said first file such that a resulting compressed file fits entirely within said second single block of said hardware storage device; and

storing, by said processor, said resulting compressed file within said second single block.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by said processor based on said threshold percentage value, a specified technique for performing said compressing.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, by said processor, a second file of said plurality of files for storage on said hardware storage device;

determining, by said processor, that said second file comprises a size that fits entirely within a third single block of said hardware storage device; and

storing, by said processor, said second file within said third single block.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by said processor, a request for reading said first file;

retrieving, by said processor in response to said request, said first portion from said first single block;

retrieving, by said processor, said resulting compressed file from said second single block;

decompressing, by said processor, said resulting compressed file resulting in said second portion of said first file being decompressed;

combining, by said processor, said first portion with said decompressed second portion resulting in a reconstruction of said first file; and

reading, by said processor, said first file.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

modifying, by said processor, a file system layout and functionality with respect to a data structure used to represent a file system object, wherein said data structure comprises a bitmap for recognizing said second portion.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said modifying is performed on an operating system level, a database level, a middleware level, an application level, or a storage level.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said processor is comprised by a disk controller of said hardware storage device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in the computing system, said code being executed by the computer processor to implement: said identifying, said determining, said dividing, said storing said first portion, said compressing, and said storing said resulting compressed file.

9. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the processor executes a storage optimization method comprising:

identifying, by said processor, a first file of a plurality of files for storage on said hardware storage device;

determining, by said processor, that said first file comprises a first file size that exceeds first multiple physical disk blocks of said hardware storage device by a first fractional value;

dividing, by said processor, said first file into a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion comprises a file size such that said first portion fits entirely within a first single block of said hardware storage device, wherein said second portion comprises a file size such that said second portion exceeds a size of a second single block of said hardware storage device by said first fractional value, and wherein said second single block comprises a second to last sector/block of said hardware storage device;

storing, by said processor, said first portion within said first single block;

determining, by said processor, a threshold percentage value associated with a specified percentage of a size of said first multiple physical disk blocks;

comparing by said processor, said second portion of said first file to said threshold percentage value;

determining, by said processor, that said second portion of said first file is associated with a wasted disk space portion of said first multiple physical disk blocks;

determining, by said processor based on results of said comparing, that said wasted disk space portion exceeds said threshold percentage value;

compressing, by said processor based on results of said comparing, said second portion of said first file such that a resulting compressed file fits entirely within said second single block of said hardware storage device; and

storing, by said processor, said resulting compressed file within said second single block.

10. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said processor based on said threshold percentage value, a specified technique for performing said compressing.

11. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein said method further comprises:

identifying, by said processor, a second file of said plurality of files for storage on said hardware storage device;

determining, by said processor, that said second file comprises a size that fits entirely within a third single block of said hardware storage device; and

storing, by said processor, said second file within said third single block.

12. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, by said processor, a request for reading said first file;

retrieving, by said processor in response to said request, said first portion from said first single block;

retrieving, by said processor, said resulting compressed file from said second single block;

decompressing, by said processor, said resulting compressed file resulting in said second portion of said first file being decompressed;

combining, by said processor, said first portion with said decompressed second portion resulting in a reconstruction of said first file; and

reading, by said processor, said first file.

13. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein said method further comprises:

modifying, by said processor, a file system layout and functionality with respect to a data structure used to represent a file system object, wherein said data structure comprises a bitmap for recognizing said second portion.

14. The computing system of claim 13 , wherein said modifying is performed on an operating system level, a database level, a middleware level, an application level, or a storage level.

15. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein said processor is comprised by a disk controller of said hardware storage device.

16. A computer program product comprised by a computer readable hardware storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a processor of said hardware storage device implements a storage optimization method, said method comprising:

identifying, by said processor, a first file of a plurality of files for storage on said hardware storage device;

determining, by said processor, that said first file comprises a first file size that exceeds first multiple physical disk blocks of said hardware storage device by a first fractional value;

dividing, by said processor, said first file into a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion comprises a file size such that said first portion fits entirely within a first single block of said hardware storage device, wherein said second portion comprises a file size such that said second portion exceeds a size of a second single block of said hardware storage device by said first fractional value, and wherein said second single block comprises a second to last sector/block of said hardware storage device;

storing, by said processor, said first portion within said first single block;

determining, by said processor, a threshold percentage value associated with a specified percentage of a size of said first multiple physical disk blocks;

comparing by said processor, said second portion of said first file to said threshold percentage value;

determining, by said processor, that said second portion of said first file is associated with a wasted disk space portion of said first multiple physical disk blocks;

determining, by said processor based on results of said comparing, that said wasted disk space portion exceeds said threshold percentage value;

compressing, by said processor based on results of said comparing, said second portion of said first file such that a resulting compressed file fits entirely within said second single block of said hardware storage device; and

storing, by said processor, said resulting compressed file within said second single block.