operating-systems file-management
Definition
File Management
File management is the set of services and mechanisms provided by an operating system to control the creation, storage, retrieval, and protection of files. It abstracts data as logical units rather than physical disk sectors.
Objectives
Efficiency
Minimise access times and storage overhead.
Persistence
Ensure data survives beyond the creating process.
Sharing
Allow multiple processes or users to access files safely.
Reliability
Protect data against hardware failure or corruption.
Generality
Provide a uniform interface across different storage devices.
Layers
| Layer | Function |
|---|---|
| User / API | System calls (open, read, write) |
| Directory Management | Map symbolic names to file identifiers |
| File Structure | Manage logical records and access methods |
| File Allocation | Map logical blocks to physical addresses |
| Free Space Management | Track unallocated blocks |
| Device Driver | Interact with O hardware |