There is a problem with the implicit zeroing of files by the kernel on certain platforms - see SERVER-15369 for more details. A workaround was put into place for this issue for mmapv1 files to explicitly zero .ns files.

The purpose of this ticket is to determine:

• in what areas will WiredTiger have similar vulnerabilities to this issue?
• what will be the customer impact of this issue to WiredTiger?
• beyond advising customers to avoid using WiredTiger on platforms with the issue, can we reasonably work around the problem by explicitly zeroing all files rather than relying on the kernel's implicit zeroing?