Python File System Quota Management

Managing file system quotas is crucial in preventing storage abuse and ensuring fair resource allocation. Python, being a versatile and powerful programming language, offers several methods to implement file system quota management. In this article, we will explore four simple yet effective methods with practical examples.

Python File System Quota Management

Below, are the example of Python File System Quota Management.

Example 1: Using os and shutil Modules

The os and shutil modules in Python provide a straightforward way to manage file system quotas. By utilizing these modules, you can retrieve information about the disk usage of a directory and take appropriate actions based on predefined limits.

In this example, the below code utilizes the shutil module to check the disk usage of a specified directory. If the used space exceeds a predefined limit, it prints a message indicating the quota breach and suggests taking necessary actions, such as deleting old files or notifying users. The example usage demonstrates how to apply this function to a specific directory with a 10 GB quota limit.

Python3

import os
import shutil

def check_quota(directory, limit):
    total, used, free = shutil.disk_usage(directory)
    if used > limit:
        print(f"Quota exceeded in {directory}. Used: {used / (2**30):.2f} GB, Limit: {limit / (2**30):.2f} GB")
        # Take necessary actions, such as deleting old files or notifying users
    else:
        print("Quota within limits.")

# Example usage
directory_path = "/path/to/directory"
quota_limit = 10 * (2**30)  # 10 GB limit
check_quota(directory_path, quota_limit)

Output

Used: 201.13 GB, Limit: 10.00 GB

Example 2: Using psutil Module

The psutil module is a powerful tool for system monitoring. It provides a convenient way to retrieve disk usage information, including details about individual partitions.

In this example, below code utilizes the `psutil` module to check the disk usage of a specified directory. If the used space exceeds a predefined limit, it prints a message indicating the quota breach, along with the actual and limit values in gigabytes. The example usage demonstrates how to apply this function to a specific directory with a 10 GB quota limit.

Python3

import psutil


def check_quota_psutil(directory, limit):
    partition = psutil.disk_usage(directory)
    if partition.used > limit:
        print(
            f"Quota exceeded in {directory}. Used: {partition.used / (2**30):.2f
                                } GB, Limit: {limit / (2**30):.2f} GB")
        # Take necessary actions
    else:
        print("Quota within limits.")


# Example usage
directory_path = "/path/to/directory"
quota_limit = 10 * (2**30)  # 10 GB limit
check_quota_psutil(directory_path, quota_limit)

Output

Used: 201.13 GB, Limit: 10.00 GB

Conclusion

Python offers multiple methods for file system quota management, ranging from basic disk usage checks using the os and shutil modules to more advanced techniques like using the psutil module for system-wide monitoring or the quota_tool module for user-specific quotas. Additionally, Unix-based systems can leverage the /etc/fstab file for configuring disk quotas. The choice of method depends on the specific requirements of your application and the level of control needed over disk usage.