Chapter 11: File-System Interface
File Concept Access Methods
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Directory Structure File System Mounting File Sharing Protection
File Concept
Contiguous logical address space Types:
Data
numeric character binary
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Program
File Structure
None - sequence of words, bytes Simple record structure
Lines Fixed length Variable length
Complex Structures
Formatted document Relocatable load file
Can simulate last two with first method by inserting appropriate control characters. Who decides:
Operating system Program
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File Attributes
Name only information kept in human-readable form. Type needed for systems that support different types. Location pointer to file location on device. Size current file size. Protection controls who can do reading, writing, executing. Time, date, and user identification data for protection, security, and usage monitoring. Information about files are kept in the directory structure, which is maintained on the disk.
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File Operations
Create Write Read Reposition within file file seek Delete Truncate Open(Fi) search the directory structure on disk for entry Fi, and move the content of entry to memory. Close (Fi) move the content of entry Fi in memory to directory structure on disk.
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File Types Name, Extension
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Access Methods
Sequential Access read next write next reset no read after last write (rewrite) Direct Access
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read n write n position to n read next write next rewrite n
n = relative block number
Sequential-access File
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Simulation of Sequential Access on a Direct-access File
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Example of Index and Relative Files
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Directory Structure
A collection of nodes containing information about all files.
Directory
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Files
F1
F2
F3
F4 Fn
Both the directory structure and the files reside on disk. Backups of these two structures are kept on tapes.
A Typical File-system Organization
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Information in a Device Directory
Name Type Address Current length Maximum length Date last accessed (for archival) Date last updated (for dump) Owner ID (who pays) Protection information (discuss later)
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Operations Performed on Directory
Search for a file Create a file Delete a file List a directory Rename a file Traverse the file system
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Organize the Directory (Logically) to Obtain
Efficiency locating a file quickly. Naming convenient to users.
Two users can have same name for different files. The same file can have several different names.
Grouping logical grouping of files by properties, (e.g., all Java programs, all games, )
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Single-Level Directory
A single directory for all users.
Naming problem Grouping problem
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Two-Level Directory
Separate directory for each user.
Path name Can have the same file name for different user Efficient searching No grouping capability
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Tree-Structured Directories
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Tree-Structured Directories (Cont.)
Efficient searching Grouping Capability
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Current directory (working directory)
cd /spell/mail/prog type list
Tree-Structured Directories (Cont.) or relative path name Absolute
Creating a new file is done in current directory. Delete a file rm <file-name> Creating a new subdirectory is done in current directory.
mkdir <dir-name>
Example: if in current directory /mail mkdir count
mail prog copy prt exp count
Deleting mail deleting the entire subtree rooted by mail.
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Acyclic-Graph Directories
Have shared subdirectories and files.
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Acyclic-Graph Directories (Cont.)
Two different names (aliasing) If dict deletes list dangling pointer. Solutions:
Backpointers, so we can delete all pointers. Variable size records a problem. Backpointers using a daisy chain organization. Entry-hold-count solution.
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General Graph Directory
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General Graph Directory (Cont.)
How do we guarantee no cycles?
Allow only links to file not subdirectories. Garbage collection. Every time a new link is added use a cycle detection algorithm to determine whether it is OK.
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File System Mounting
A file system must be mounted before it can be accessed. A unmounted file system (I.e. Fig. 11-11(b)) is mounted at a mount point.
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(a) Existing. (b) Unmounted Partition
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Mount Point
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File Sharing
Sharing of files on multi-user systems is desirable. Sharing may be done through a protection scheme.
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On distributed systems, files may be shared across a network. Network File System (NFS) is a common distributed filesharing method.
Protection
File owner/creator should be able to control:
what can be done by whom
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Types of access
Read Write Execute Append Delete List
AccessofListsread, write, execute Mode access: and Groups
Three classes of users RWX a) owner access 7 111 RWX b) group access 6 110 RWX c) public access 1 001 Ask manager to create a group (unique name), say G, and add some users to the group. For a particular file (say game) or subdirectory, define an appropriate access.
owner chmod group 761 public game
Attach a group to a file chgrp G game
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