File system Interface
Objectives
File, file system
Types of files
File attributes
File operations
Access Methods
File Sharing
Protection
Concept of file
A file is a named collection of related information
Contagious logical address space
recorded on secondary storage i.e magnetic disks, magnetic tapes and optical disks
files represent programs (both source and object forms) and data.
File system
abbreviated as FS
method of organizing and retrieving files from a storage medium
usually consist of files separated into groups called directories
Directories can contain files or additional directories
commonly used file system with Windows is NTFS.
File Attributes
A file’s attributes vary from one operating system to another but typically consist of these:
Name: The symbolic file name is the only information kept in human readable form
Identifier: usually a number, identifies the file within the file system
it is the non-human-readable name for the file
File Attributes cont..
Type: This information is needed for systems that support different types of files
Location: This information is a pointer to a device and to the location of the file on
that device
Size: The current size of the file (in bytes, words, or blocks) and possibly the maximum
allowed size are included in this attribute.
File Attributes cont..
Protection: Access-control information determines who can do reading, writing,
executing, and so on.
Time, date, and user identification: This information may be kept for creation, last
modification, and last use
Types
Executable file: a file that runs a program when it is opened
Batch file: A batch file is a kind of script file
stored in a plain text file
Text file: A text file is a sequence of characters organized into lines
source file : it is a sequence of procedures and functions
Object file: a file containing object code
Types cont..
Types cont..
MS-DOS and UNIX have the following types of files
Ordinary files
Directory files
Special files
Ordinary files
These are the files that contain user information.
These may have text, databases or executable program.
The user can apply various operations on such files like add, modify, delete or even
remove the entire file.
Directory files
These files contain list of file names and other information related to these files.
Special files
these files are also known as device files.
These files represent physical device like disks, terminals, printers, networks, tape drive
etc
File operations
File operations:
Create a file
Open a file
Write a file
Read a file
Close a file
Truncate a file
File operations cont..
Creating a file: Two steps are necessary to create a file
First, space in the file system must be found for the file
Second, an entry for the new file must be made in the directory
File operation cont..
Writing a file: make a system call specifying both the name of the file and the information
to be written to the file
Given the name of the file, the system searches the directory to find the file’s location.
system must keep a write pointer to the location in the file where the next write is to take
place
File operation cont..
Reading a file: use a system call that specifies the name of the file and where (in memory)
the next block of the file should be put
system needs to keep a read pointer to the location in the file where the next read is to take
place
Deleting a file: To delete a file, search the directory for the named file.
erase the directory entry
File operations cont..
truncating a file:The user may want to erase the contents of a file but keep its attribute
this function allows all attributes to remain unchanged
File Access Mechanisms
Sequential access
Direct/Random access
Indexed sequential access
Sequential access
access is that in which the records are accessed in some sequence
information in the file is processed in order
i.e one record after the other
Compilers usually access files in this fashion
Sequential access
Direct access
Also called random access
accessing the records directly
Each record has its own address on the file through which it is accessed
Direct access cont..
Indexed sequential access
This mechanism is built up on base of sequential access.
An index is created for each file which contains pointers to various blocks
Index is searched sequentially and its pointer is used to access the file directly
Indexed sequential access
File sharing
file sharing is desirable for users who want to collaborate and to reduce the effort required
to achieve a computing goal
Multiple users can share files
When an OS accommodates multiple users, the issues of file sharing, file naming, and file
protection become preeminent.
File Protection
File systems can be damaged by
hardware problems ,power failures, head crashes, dirt, temperature extremes, and
vandalism
Files may be deleted accidentally
Bugs in the file-system software can also cause file contents to be lost.
How to protect
by physically removing the floppy disks and locking them in a desk drawer or file cabinet
provide controlled access by limiting the types of file access
associate a password with each file
Type of access
Access is permitted or denied depending on several factors, one of which is the ty
Read: Read from the file
Write: Write or rewrite the file
Execute: Load the file into memory and execute it
Append: Write new information at the end of the file
Delete: Delete the file and free its space for possible reuse
List: List the name and attributes of the file.pe of access requested
Access Control
make access dependent on the identity of the user
access-control list (ACL) specifying user names and the types of access allowed for each
user
When a user requests access to a particular file
operating system checks the access list associated with that file
Access control cont..
If that user is listed for the requested access, the access is allowed
Otherwise, a protection violation occurs
End of chapter
