💾

Operating Systems: File Systems & I/O

40 cards · 🇺🇸 English

How file systems organize and access data on storage devices.

technologyoperating-systemsfile-systems

Study all 40 cards for free

Flashcards, quizzes, pixel-art games and a daily review that remembers for you.

Study this deck free

Try the first 10 cards

1 / 10
Question

File system

Knew itLearning

Tap the card for the answer · swipe right if you knew it, left if not

Already have an account? Sign in

Cards

  1. 1File system
    A system that governs file organization and access, managing how data is stored and retrieved on storage devices
  2. 2Three layers of a local file system architecture
    Logical file system layer (high-level API), virtual file system layer (optional), and physical file system layer (low-level storage access)
  3. 3Logical file system layer responsible for
    Providing high-level API for file operations (open, close, read, write), managing file descriptors, and handling security and protection
  4. 4Physical file system layer responsible for
    Low-level access to storage devices, reading/writing data blocks, buffering, and controlling placement of blocks on storage media
  5. 5Virtual file system (VFS)
    An optional layer that supports multiple concurrent instances of different physical file systems, providing a unified interface
  6. 6File name
    A unique identifier for a file within a directory context that applications use to refer to a specific file
  7. 7Directory
    A structure that organizes files into groups, segregating them and often allowing hierarchical organization with subdirectories
  8. 8Inode
    A data structure in Unix-like file systems that stores metadata about a file (permissions, ownership, timestamps) separate from the file name
  9. 9What metadata do file systems typically store?
    File name, size, creation/modification times, owner/group, access permissions, file attributes, and location on storage
  10. 10Slack space
    Unused space within an allocated block when a file size is not a multiple of the allocation unit size
  11. 11File system fragmentation
    When files and free space are scattered in non-contiguous blocks, potentially degrading performance on some storage devices
  12. 12Why does fragmentation affect HDDs more than SSDs?
    HDDs have mechanical read/write heads that must physically move, so contiguous blocks are faster; SSDs have no moving parts and can access any location equally fast
  13. 13Purpose of file system access control
    To restrict who can read, write, or execute files, preventing unauthorized access or modifications
  14. 14Common access control mechanisms
    Permission bits, access control lists (ACLs), and capability-based security
  15. 15Disk quota
    A limit set by system administrators on the amount of storage space a user can consume
  16. 16Journaling file system
    A file system that logs changes before committing them, allowing recovery of consistent state after crashes or power failures
  17. 17Hard link
    A directory entry that points to the same inode as another file name, creating multiple names for the same file data
  18. 18Symbolic link (symlink)
    A special file that contains a path to another file or directory, acting as a reference or shortcut
  19. 19Mount point
    A directory in Unix-like systems where a file system is attached to make its contents accessible
  20. 20Mounting a file system
    The process of making a file system on a storage device accessible by attaching it to a directory in the file hierarchy
  21. 21FAT (File Allocation Table)
    A simple file system used by MS-DOS and early Windows, with variants FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32
  22. 22NTFS
    New Technology File System, the primary file system for Windows NT and later versions, supporting advanced features like journaling, encryption, and large files
  23. 23Ext4
    The fourth extended file system, a widely-used journaling file system for Linux, supporting large files and volumes
  24. 24HFS+ (Hierarchical File System Plus)
    A file system used by macOS before APFS, supporting metadata, case-preservation, and journaling
  25. 25APFS (Apple File System)
    Apple's modern file system introduced in 2017, optimized for flash/SSD storage with features like encryption, snapshots, and space sharing
  26. 26ZFS
    A combined file system and volume manager with features like pooled storage, data integrity checking, snapshots, and compression
  27. 27Distributed file system
    A file system that provides access to files across a network, allowing multiple computers to share storage
  28. 28NFS (Network File System)
    A distributed file system protocol that allows remote file access over a network, commonly used in Unix/Linux environments
  29. 29SMB (Server Message Block)
    A network file sharing protocol used primarily by Windows systems (also known as CIFS)
  30. 30Block device
    A storage device that reads and writes data in fixed-size blocks (e.g., hard drives, SSDs)

And 10 more cards. Study the whole deck free

Articles about this deck

More Technology decks

See all
Study all 40 cards free