File Systems in Operating System

A computer file is defined as a medium used for saving and managing data in the computer system.
The data stored in the computer system is completely in digital format, although there can be
various types of files that help us to store the data.

File systems are a crucial part of any operating system, providing a structured way to store, organize,
and manage data on storage devices such as hard drives, SSDs, and USB drives. Essentially, a file
system acts as a bridge between the operating system and the physical storage hardware, allowing
users and applications to create, read, update, and delete files in an organized and efficient manner.

What is a File System?

A file system is a method an operating system uses to store, organize, and manage files and
directories on a storage device. Some common types of file systems include:

 FAT (File Allocation Table): An older file system used by older versions of Windows and
other operating systems.

 NTFS (New Technology File System): A modern file system used by Windows. It supports
features such as file and folder permissions, compression, and encryption.

 ext (Extended File System): A file system commonly used on Linux and Unix-based operating
systems.

 HFS (Hierarchical File System): A file system used by macOS.

 APFS (Apple File System): A new file system introduced by Apple for their Macs and iOS
devices.

A file is a collection of related information that is recorded on secondary storage. Or file is a

collection of logically related entities. From the user’s perspective, a file is the smallest allotment of
logical secondary storage.

The name of the file is divided into two parts as shown below:

 Name

 Extension, separated by a period.

Issues Handled By File System

We’ve seen a variety of data structures where the file could be kept. The file system’s job is to keep
the files organized in the best way possible.
A free space is created on the hard drive whenever a file is deleted from it. To reallocate them to
other files, many of these spaces may need to be recovered. Choosing where to store the files on
the hard disc is the main issue with files one block may or may not be used to store a file. It may be
kept in the disk’s non-contiguous blocks. We must keep track of all the blocks where the files are
partially located.
Files Attributes And Their Operations

Attributes Types Operations

Name Doc Create

Type Exe Open

Size Jpg Read

Creation Data Xis Write

Author C Append

Last Modified Java Truncate

protection class Delete

File type Usual extension Function

Read to run machine

Executable exe, com, bin
language program

Compiled, machine language

Object obj, o
not linked

Source code in various

Source Code C, java, pas, asm, a
languages

Commands to the command

Batch bat, sh
interpreter

Text txt, doc Textual data, documents

File type Usual extension Function

Various word processor

Word Processor wp, tex, rrf, doc
formats

Related files grouped into one

Archive arc, zip, tar
compressed file

For containing audio/video

Multimedia mpeg, mov, rm
information

It is the textual data and

Markup xml, html, tex
documents

It contains libraries of
Library lib, a ,so, dll
routines for programmers

It is a format for printing or

Print or View gif, pdf, jpg
viewing an ASCII or binary file.

File Directories

The collection of files is a file directory. The directory contains information about the files, including
attributes, location, and ownership. Much of this information, especially that is concerned with
storage, is managed by the operating system. The directory is itself a file, accessible by various file
management routines.

Below are information contained in a device directory.

 Name

 Type

 Address

 Current length

 Maximum length

 Date last accessed

 Date last updated

 Owner id

 Protection information
The operation performed on the directory are:

 Search for a file

 Create a file

 Delete a file

 List a directory

 Rename a file

 Traverse the file system

Advantages of Maintaining Directories

 Efficiency: A file can be located more quickly.

 Naming: It becomes convenient for users as two users can have same name for different
files or may have different name for same file.

 Grouping: Logical grouping of files can be done by properties e.g. all java programs, all
games etc.

Single-Level Directory

In this, a single directory is maintained for all the users.

 Naming Problem: Users cannot have the same name for two files.

 Grouping Problem: Users cannot group files according to their needs.

Two-Level Directory

In this separate directories for each user is maintained.

 Path Name: Due to two levels there is a path name for every file to locate that file.

 Now, we can have the same file name for different users.

 Searching is efficient in this method.

Tree-Structured Directory

The directory is maintained in the form of a tree. Searching is efficient and also there is grouping
capability. We have absolute or relative path name for a file.
File Allocation Methods

There are several types of file allocation methods. These are mentioned below.

 Continuous Allocation

 Linked Allocation(Non-contiguous allocation)

 Indexed Allocation

Continuous Allocation

A single continuous set of blocks is allocated to a file at the time of file creation. Thus, this is a pre-
allocation strategy, using variable size portions. The file allocation table needs just a single entry for
each file, showing the starting block and the length of the file. This method is best from the point of
view of the individual sequential file. Multiple blocks can be read in at a time to improve I/O
performance for sequential processing. It is also easy to retrieve a single block. For example, if a file
starts at block b, and the ith block of the file is wanted, its location on secondary storage is simply
b+i-1.
Disadvantages of Continuous Allocation

 External fragmentation will occur, making it difficult to find contiguous blocks of space of
sufficient length. A compaction algorithm will be necessary to free up additional space on
the disk.

 Also, with pre-allocation, it is necessary to declare the size of the file at the time of creation.

Linked Allocation(Non-Contiguous Allocation)

Allocation is on an individual block basis. Each block contains a pointer to the next block in the chain.
Again the file table needs just a single entry for each file, showing the starting block and the length
of the file. Although pre-allocation is possible, it is more common simply to allocate blocks as
needed. Any free block can be added to the chain. The blocks need not be continuous. An increase in
file size is always possible if a free disk block is available. There is no external fragmentation because
only one block at a time is needed but there can be internal fragmentation but it exists only in the
last disk block of the file.
Disadvantage Linked Allocation(Non-contiguous allocation)

 Internal fragmentation exists in the last disk block of the file.

 There is an overhead of maintaining the pointer in every disk block.

 If the pointer of any disk block is lost, the file will be truncated.

 It supports only the sequential access of files.

Indexed Allocation

It addresses many of the problems of contiguous and chained allocation. In this case, the file
allocation table contains a separate one-level index for each file: The index has one entry for each
block allocated to the file. The allocation may be on the basis of fixed-size blocks or variable-sized
blocks. Allocation by blocks eliminates external fragmentation, whereas allocation by variable-size
blocks improves locality. This allocation technique supports both sequential and direct access to the
file and thus is the most popular form of file allocation.

Disk Free Space Management

Just as the space that is allocated to files must be managed, so the space that is not currently
allocated to any file must be managed. To perform any of the file allocation techniques, it is
necessary to know what blocks on the disk are available. Thus we need a disk allocation table in
addition to a file allocation table. The following are the approaches used for free space
management.

 Bit Tables: This method uses a vector containing one bit for each block on the disk. Each
entry for a 0 corresponds to a free block and each 1 corresponds to a block in use.
For example 00011010111100110001
In this vector every bit corresponds to a particular block and 0 implies that particular block
is free and 1 implies that the block is already occupied. A bit table has the advantage that it
is relatively easy to find one or a contiguous group of free blocks. Thus, a bit table works well
with any of the file allocation methods. Another advantage is that it is as small as possible.

 Free Block List: In this method, each block is assigned a number sequentially and the list of
the numbers of all free blocks is maintained in a reserved block of the disk.

Advantages of File System

 Organization: A file system allows files to be organized into directories and subdirectories,
making it easier to manage and locate files.

 Data Protection: File systems often include features such as file and folder
permissions, backup and restore, and error detection and correction, to protect data from
loss or corruption.

 Improved Performance: A well-designed file system can improve the performance of

reading and writing data by organizing it efficiently on disk.

Disadvantages of File System

 Compatibility Issues: Different file systems may not be compatible with each other, making
it difficult to transfer data between different operating systems.

 Disk Space Overhead: File systems may use some disk space to store metadata and other
overhead information, reducing the amount of space available for user data.
  Vulnerability: File systems can be vulnerable to data corruption, malware, and other
security threats, which can compromise the stability and security of the system.

Conclusion

In conclusion, file systems are essential components of operating systems that manage how data is
stored, organized, and accessed on storage devices. They provide the structure and rules necessary
for creating, managing, and protecting files and directories. By ensuring efficient storage
management, easy file navigation, and robust security measures, file systems contribute to the
overall functionality, performance, and reliability of computer systems.