Gives detailed information about File Management in operating systems

1. UNIT – V
FILE MANAGEMENT
PREPARED BY,
V.SANTHI
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
DEPARTMENT OF BCA,
BON SECOURS COLLEGE FOR WOMEN,
THANJAVUR.

2. Introduction
 File Manager’s efficiency directly affected
by:
 How the system’s files are organized
 How files are stored
 How each file’s records are structured
 How user access to all files is protected
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3. The File Manager
 File management system
 Software
 File access responsibilities
 Creating, deleting, modifying, controlling
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4. Responsibilities of the File
Manager
 Four tasks
1.File storage tracking
2. Policy implementation
 Determine where and how files are stored
 Efficiently use available storage space
 Provide efficient file access
3. File allocation if user access cleared
 Record file use
4. File Deallocation
 Return file to storage
 Communicate file availability
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5. Responsibilities of the File
Manager
 Policy determines:
 File storage location
 System and user access
 Uses device-independent commands
 Access to material
 Two factors
 Factor 1: flexibility of access to information
 Share files
 Provide distributed access
 Allow users to browse public directories
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6. Responsibilities of the File
Manager
 Factor 2: subsequent protection
 Prevent system malfunctions
 Security checks
 Account numbers and passwords
 File allocation
 Activate secondary storage device, load file into
memory, and update records
 File deallocation
 Update file tables, rewrite file (if revised), and
notify waiting processes of file availability
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7. Definitions
 Field
 Group of related bytes
 Identified by user (name, type, size)
 Record
 Group of related fields
 File
 Group of related records
 Information used by specific application
programs
 Report generation
 Flat file
 No connections to other files; no dimensionality
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8. Definitions
 Database
 Group of related files
 Interconnected at various levels
 Give users flexibility of access to stored data
 Program files
 Contain instructions
 Data files
 Contain data
 Directories (folders)
 Listings of filenames and their attributes
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9. 9

10. Interacting with the File
Manager
 Most common user commands
 OPEN, DELETE, RENAME,
COPY
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11. Interacting with the File
Manager
 Device-independent
 Physical location: knowledge not needed
 Cylinder, surface, sector
 Device medium: knowledge not needed
 Tape, magnetic disk, optical disc, flash
storage
 Network knowledge: not needed
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12. Interacting with the File
Manager
 Logical commands
 Broken into lower-level signals
 Example: READ
 Move read/write heads to record cylinder
 Wait for rotational delay (sector containing
record passes under read/write head)
 Activate appropriate read/write head and read
record
 Transfer record to main memory
 Send flag indicating free device for another
request
 System monitors for error conditions
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13. Typical Volume Configuration
 Volume
 Secondary storage unit (removable,
nonremovable)
 Multi-file volume
 Contains many files
 Multi-volume files
 Extremely large files spread across several
volumes
 Volume name
 File manager manages
 Easily accessible
 Innermost part of CD, beginning of tape, first
sector of outermost track
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14. Typical Volume Configuration
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15. Typical Volume Configuration
 Master file directory (MFD)
 Stored immediately after volume descriptor
 Lists
 Names and characteristics of every file in
volume
 File names (program files, data files, system
files)
 Subdirectories
 If supported by file manager
 Remainder of volume
 Used for file storage 15

16. Typical Volume Configuration
 Single directory per volume
 Supported by early operating systems
 Disadvantages
 Long search time for individual file
 Directory space filled before disk storage space
filled
 Users cannot create subdirectories
 Users cannot safeguard their files
 Each program needs unique name
 Even those serving many users
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17. Introducing Subdirectories
 File managers
 Create MFD for each volume
 Contains file and subdirectory entries
 Subdirectory
 Created upon account opening
 Treated as file
 Flagged in MFD as subdirectory
 Unique properties
 Improvement over single directory scheme
 Problems remain: unable to logically group files
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18. Introducing Subdirectories
 File managers today
 Users create own subdirectories (folders)
 Related files grouped together
 Implemented as upside-down tree
 Efficient system searching of individual
directories
 May require several directories to reach file
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20. Introducing Subdirectories
 File descriptor
 Filename: each must be unique
 File type: organization and usage
 System dependent
 File size: for convenience
 File location
 Identifies first physical block (or all blocks)
 Date and time of creation
 Owner
 Protection information: access restrictions
 Record size: fixed size, maximum size
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21. File-Naming Conventions
 Filename components
 Relative filename and extension
 Complete filename (absolute filename)
 Includes all path information
 Relative filename
 Name without path information
 Appears in directory listings, folders
 Provides filename differentiation within directory
 Varies in length
 One to many characters
 Operating system specific
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