static int builtin_posix_module_dataset_open (struct hio_module_t *module, hio_dataset_t dataset) {
  builtin_posix_module_dataset_t *posix_dataset = (builtin_posix_module_dataset_t *) dataset;
  builtin_posix_module_t *posix_module = (builtin_posix_module_t *) module;
  hio_context_t context = hioi_object_context ((hio_object_t) dataset);
  unsigned char *manifest = NULL;
  size_t manifest_size = 0;
  hio_fs_attr_t *fs_attr;
  uint64_t start, stop;
  int rc = HIO_SUCCESS;
  char *path = NULL;

  start = hioi_gettime ();

  hioi_log (context, HIO_VERBOSE_DEBUG_MED, "posix:dataset_open: opening dataset %s:%lu mpi: %d flags: 0x%x mode: 0x%x",
	    hioi_object_identifier (dataset), (unsigned long) dataset->ds_id, hioi_context_using_mpi (context),
            dataset->ds_flags, dataset->ds_mode);

  rc = builtin_posix_module_dataset_init (module, posix_dataset);
  if (HIO_SUCCESS != rc) {
    return rc;
  }

  fs_attr = &posix_dataset->base.ds_fsattr;

  rc = hioi_fs_query (context, module->data_root, fs_attr);
  if (HIO_SUCCESS != rc) {
    hioi_err_push (rc, &context->c_object, "posix: error querying the filesystem");
    return rc;
  }

  if (fs_attr->fs_flags & HIO_FS_SUPPORTS_STRIPING) {
    hioi_config_add (context, &dataset->ds_object, &fs_attr->fs_scount,
                     "stripe_count", HIO_CONFIG_TYPE_UINT32, NULL, "Stripe count for all dataset "
                     "data files", 0);

    if (fs_attr->fs_scount > fs_attr->fs_smax_count) {
      hioi_log (context, HIO_VERBOSE_WARN, "posix:dataset_open: requested stripe count %u exceeds the available resources. "
                "adjusting to maximum %u", fs_attr->fs_scount, fs_attr->fs_smax_count);
      fs_attr->fs_scount = fs_attr->fs_smax_count;
    }

    hioi_config_add (context, &dataset->ds_object, &fs_attr->fs_ssize,
                     "stripe_size", HIO_CONFIG_TYPE_UINT64, NULL, "Stripe size for all dataset "
                     "data files", 0);

    /* ensure the stripe size is a multiple of the stripe unit */
    fs_attr->fs_ssize = fs_attr->fs_sunit * ((fs_attr->fs_ssize + fs_attr->fs_sunit - 1) / fs_attr->fs_sunit);
    if (fs_attr->fs_ssize > fs_attr->fs_smax_size) {
      hioi_log (context, HIO_VERBOSE_WARN, "posix:dataset_open: requested stripe size %" PRIu64 " exceeds the maximum %"
                PRIu64 ". ", fs_attr->fs_ssize, fs_attr->fs_smax_size);
      fs_attr->fs_ssize = fs_attr->fs_smax_size;
    }

    hioi_config_add (context, &dataset->ds_object, &fs_attr->fs_raid_level,
                     "raid_level", HIO_CONFIG_TYPE_UINT64, NULL, "RAID level for dataset "
                     "data files. Keep in mind that some filesystems only support 1/2 RAID "
                     "levels", 0);

    if (HIO_FILE_MODE_OPTIMIZED == dataset->ds_fmode) {
      fs_attr->fs_scount = 1;
      fs_attr->fs_ssize = dataset->ds_bs;
      fs_attr->fs_use_group_locking = true;
    }
  }

  do {
    if (0 != context->c_rank) {
      break;
    }

    if (dataset->ds_flags & HIO_FLAG_TRUNC) {
      /* blow away the existing dataset */
      (void) builtin_posix_module_dataset_unlink (module, hioi_object_identifier(dataset),
                                                  dataset->ds_id);

      /* ensure we take the create path later */
      dataset->ds_flags |= HIO_FLAG_CREAT;
    }

    if (!(dataset->ds_flags & HIO_FLAG_CREAT)) {
      /* load manifest. the manifest data will be shared with other processes in hioi_dataset_scatter */
      rc = asprintf (&path, "%s/manifest.json.bz2", posix_dataset->base_path);
      assert (0 < rc);

      if (access (path, F_OK)) {
        free (path);
        rc = asprintf (&path, "%s/manifest.json", posix_dataset->base_path);
        assert (0 < rc);
        if (access (path, F_OK)) {
          hioi_log (context, HIO_VERBOSE_DEBUG_LOW, "posix:dataset_open: could not find top-level manifest");
          rc = HIO_ERR_NOT_FOUND;
          break;
        }
      }

      rc = hioi_manifest_read (path, &manifest, &manifest_size);
      free (path);
    } else {
      rc = builtin_posix_create_dataset_dirs (posix_module, posix_dataset);
      if (HIO_SUCCESS != rc) {
        break;
      }

      rc = hioi_manifest_serialize (dataset, &manifest, &manifest_size, true);
    }
  } while (0);

  /* share dataset information will all processes in the communication domain */
  rc = hioi_dataset_scatter (dataset, manifest, manifest_size, rc);
  if (HIO_SUCCESS != rc) {
    free (posix_dataset->base_path);
    return rc;
  }

  free (manifest);

  if (HIO_FILE_MODE_OPTIMIZED == dataset->ds_fmode) {
    if (HIO_SET_ELEMENT_UNIQUE == dataset->ds_mode || 2 > context->c_size || NULL == dataset->ds_shared_control) {
      posix_dataset->base.ds_fmode = HIO_FILE_MODE_BASIC;
      /* NTH: no optimized mode for N->N yet */
      hioi_log (context, HIO_VERBOSE_WARN, "posix:dataset_open: optimized file mode requested but not supported in this "
                "dataset mode. falling back to basic file mode");
    }
  }

  dataset->ds_module = module;
  dataset->ds_close = builtin_posix_module_dataset_close;
  dataset->ds_element_open = builtin_posix_module_element_open;
  dataset->ds_process_reqs = builtin_posix_module_process_reqs;

  pthread_mutex_init (&posix_dataset->lock, NULL);

  /* record the open time */
  gettimeofday (&dataset->ds_otime, NULL);

  stop = hioi_gettime ();

  hioi_log (context, HIO_VERBOSE_DEBUG_LOW, "posix:dataset_open: successfully %s posix dataset %s:%llu on data root %s. "
            "open time %lu usec", (dataset->ds_flags & HIO_FLAG_CREAT) ? "created" : "opened", hioi_object_identifier(dataset),
            dataset->ds_id, module->data_root, stop - start);

  return HIO_SUCCESS;
}
static int builtin_posix_module_setup_striping (hio_context_t context, struct hio_module_t *module, hio_dataset_t dataset) {
  builtin_posix_module_dataset_t *posix_dataset = (builtin_posix_module_dataset_t *) dataset;
  hio_fs_attr_t *fs_attr = &dataset->ds_fsattr;
  int rc;

  /* query the filesystem for current striping parameters */
  rc = hioi_fs_query (context, module->data_root, fs_attr);
  if (HIO_SUCCESS != rc) {
    hioi_err_push (rc, &context->c_object, "posix: error querying the filesystem");
    return rc;
  }

  /* for now do not use stripe exclusivity in any path */
  posix_dataset->my_stripe = 0;

  /* set default stripe count */
  fs_attr->fs_scount = 1;

  posix_dataset->ds_fcount = 1;

  if (fs_attr->fs_flags & HIO_FS_SUPPORTS_STRIPING) {
    if (HIO_FILE_MODE_OPTIMIZED == posix_dataset->ds_fmode) {
      /* pick a reasonable default stripe size */
      fs_attr->fs_ssize = 1 << 24;

      /* use group locking if available as we guarantee stripe exclusivity in optimized mode */
      fs_attr->fs_use_group_locking = true;

#if HIO_MPI_HAVE(3)
      /* if group locking is not available then each rank should attempt to write to
       * a different stripe to maximize the available IO bandwidth */
      fs_attr->fs_scount = min(context->c_shared_size, fs_attr->fs_smax_count);
#endif
    } else if (HIO_FILE_MODE_STRIDED == posix_dataset->ds_fmode) {
      /* pick a reasonable default stripe size */
      fs_attr->fs_ssize = posix_dataset->ds_bs;

      posix_dataset->ds_fcount = fs_attr->fs_smax_count * 32;
      fs_attr->fs_scount = 16;
      if (context->c_size < posix_dataset->ds_fcount) {
        posix_dataset->ds_fcount = context->c_size;
      }
    } else if (HIO_SET_ELEMENT_UNIQUE != dataset->ds_mode) {
      /* set defaults striping count */
      fs_attr->fs_ssize = 1 << 20;
      fs_attr->fs_scount = max (1, (unsigned) ((float) fs_attr->fs_smax_count * 0.9));
    } else {
      fs_attr->fs_ssize = 1 << 20;
    }

    hioi_config_add (context, &dataset->ds_object, &fs_attr->fs_scount,
                     "stripe_count", HIO_CONFIG_TYPE_UINT32, NULL, "Stripe count for all dataset "
                     "data files", 0);

    hioi_config_add (context, &dataset->ds_object, &fs_attr->fs_ssize,
                     "stripe_size", HIO_CONFIG_TYPE_UINT64, NULL, "Stripe size for all dataset "
                     "data files", 0);

    if (fs_attr->fs_flags & HIO_FS_SUPPORTS_RAID) {
      hioi_config_add (context, &dataset->ds_object, &fs_attr->fs_raid_level,
                       "raid_level", HIO_CONFIG_TYPE_UINT64, NULL, "RAID level for dataset "
                       "data files. Keep in mind that some filesystems only support 1/2 RAID "
                       "levels", 0);
    }

    /* ensure stripe count is sane */
    if (fs_attr->fs_scount > fs_attr->fs_smax_count) {
      hioi_log (context, HIO_VERBOSE_WARN, "posix:dataset_open: requested stripe count %u exceeds the available resources. "
                "adjusting to maximum %u", fs_attr->fs_scount, fs_attr->fs_smax_count);
      fs_attr->fs_scount = fs_attr->fs_smax_count;
    }

    /* ensure the stripe size is a multiple of the stripe unit */
    fs_attr->fs_ssize = fs_attr->fs_sunit * ((fs_attr->fs_ssize + fs_attr->fs_sunit - 1) / fs_attr->fs_sunit);
    if (fs_attr->fs_ssize > fs_attr->fs_smax_size) {
      hioi_log (context, HIO_VERBOSE_WARN, "posix:dataset_open: requested stripe size %" PRIu64 " exceeds the maximum %"
                PRIu64 ". ", fs_attr->fs_ssize, fs_attr->fs_smax_size);
      fs_attr->fs_ssize = fs_attr->fs_smax_size;
    }

    if (HIO_FILE_MODE_OPTIMIZED == posix_dataset->ds_fmode && posix_dataset->ds_bs < fs_attr->fs_ssize) {
      posix_dataset->ds_bs = fs_attr->fs_ssize;
    }
  }

  return HIO_SUCCESS;
}