Operating System
File Management
The File Manager (or File Management
System) is the manager in the Operating
System that creates the illusion that there are
files and folders being stored in computer
memory.
Files and
Operating System Folders
Memory
Hardware Locations
Hard Disk Block
Hard Disk Block
Hard Disk Block
Hard Disk Block
Hard Disk Block
The File Manager
◦ Keeps track of where files are stored
◦ Determines how the files are stored
◦ Follows operating system file allocation policies
◦ Uses available storage space efficiently for files
◦ Creates a record/log of all file usage
◦ Allocates a file to a user if is free, and if they are
permitted access to it.
◦ De-allocates file when user finished with it.
The file manager ALLOCATES a file by reading
it from the hard disk and loading it into
memory while updating its record of who is
using what file.
The file manager DEALLOCATES a file
by updating the file tables and rewriting the
file (if changed) to the hard disk. Any
processes waiting to access the file will be
notified.
Some definitions:
◦ A FIELD is a collection of bytes that can be
identified by a user, and has a type and size.
◦ A RECORD is a collection of related FIELDS.
◦ A FILE is a collection of records.
◦ A DIRECTORY (or FOLDER) is a special type of file
that which has lists of files and their attributes.
Typical things you can do with a file are:
◦ CREATE
◦ OPEN
◦ DELETE
◦ RENAME
◦ COPY
◦ etc.
The name of a file is usually in two parts:
The name of a file is usually in two parts:
◦ MakeABackup.bat
The name of a file is usually in two parts:
◦ MakeABackup.bat
Filename
The name of a file is usually in two parts:
◦ MakeABackup.bat
Filename extension
.avi Microsoft Video for Windows movie
.dbf dbase II, III, IV data file
.doc(x) Microsoft Word for Windows
.gif Graphics Interchange Format
.htm Hypertext Markup Language (common web page file)
.html Hypertext Markup Language (common web page file)
.jpg JPEG graphic file
.mpg MPEG Video file
.mid MIDI music file
.mov QuickTime movie
.pdf Adobe Portable Document Format file
.ppt(x) PowerPoint file
.psd Photoshop file
.qxd QuarkXPress file
.rm Real Audio/Video streaming file
.rtf Rich Text Format
.tif TIFF graphic file
.txt ASCII text file
.wav Sound file
.xls(x) Excel spreadsheet
The full filename includes path information:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MakeABackup.bat
Filename extension
The full filename includes path information:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MakeABackup.bat
path Filename extension
The full filename includes path information:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\MakeABackup.bat
path Filename extension
If I am in the following folder:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\BackupFolder\
Then the address of the file is:
..\MakeABackup.bat
If I am in the following folder:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\BackupFolder\
Then the address of the file is:
..\MakeABackup.bat
The Operating System store files as records in memory,
where many records make up a single file.
There are three main ways a file is physically
stored in memory:
◦ Contiguous Storage
◦ Non-contiguous Storage
◦ Indexed Storage
Contiguous Storage means that records of a
file are stored one after another.
It is a very simple policy to implement, and
once you have found the start of the file, it’s
very easy to find the rest of it.
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
The problem with is that if you have expand the file,
you either need to have free space allocated at the
end, or copy the whole file to a different location on
the disk that has enough space.
Non-contiguous Storage means that records
of a file are stored where ever there is free
space.
The file manager will try to put as much of it
together as possible, but there will be other
part spread out over the disk.
These extra bits are sometimes called extents
and these are linked together with pointers.
This means there is no easy way to determine
the exact location of a record in a file.
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
Indexed Storage means that as well as the records in
the file, an index block is created, with pointers to
each individual file.
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
Without an INDEX BLOCK,
how do I find file 2?
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
Without an INDEX BLOCK,
how do I find file 2?
We do a sequential search.
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
So how does it work
with an INDEX BLOCK?
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
INDEX BLOCK:
File Address Size Next
File 1 1 4 9
File 1 9 4 -
File 2 15 5 -
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
INDEX BLOCK:
File Address Size Next
File 1 1 4 9
File 1 9 4 -
File 2 15 5 -
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
INDEX BLOCK:
File Address Size Next
File 1 1 4 9
File 1 9 4 -
File 2 15 5 -
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
INDEX BLOCK:
File Address Size Next
File 1 1 4 9
File 1 9 4 -
File 2 15 5 -
a b c d e f g h v wx y z
INDEX BLOCK:
File Address Size Next
File 1 1 4 9
File 1 9 4 -
File 2 15 5 -
This support both sequential and direct access to
records, and for larger files there can be multiple
indexes.
The Access Control Matrix shows the access
that each user has for each file on the
system. The possible accesses are:
◦ R: Read
◦ W: Write
◦ E: Execute
◦ D:Delete
Use Use Use Use Use
r r r r r
1 2 3 4 5
File 1 RWED --E- --E- RWED R---
File 2 ---- R-E- R-E- R--- RWE-
File 3 R-E- RW-- R-E- R-E- R--D
File 4 R--- RWE- R--- RWED --E-
Mary Anne Tom Bob Lyn
Word. RWED --E- --E- RWED R-E-
exe
Lect1. ---- R-E- R-E- R--- RWE-
ppt
Scan. R-E- RW-- R-E- R-E- R-ED
Exe
Chrome. R-E- RWE- R-E- RWED --E-
exe
In DOS the Access Controls are:
◦ R: Read
◦ W: Write
◦ C: Change
◦ F: Full Control
In DOS access to a file can assigned to one of
two groups:
User
User Group
In DOS if we want to grant permissions to file,
e.g. MakeABackup.bat, we do:
cacls
In DOS if we want to grant permissions to file,
e.g. MakeABackup.bat, we do:
cacls filename
arguments
In DOS if we want to grant permissions to
file, e.g. MakeABackup.bat, we do:
cacls filename [/T] [/M] [/L] [/S[:SDDL]]
[/E] [/C] [/G user:?] [/R user [...]] [/P user:?
[...]] [/D user [...]]
In DOS cacls works as follows:
Argument Description
filename Display access control lists (ACLs) of file
/T Changes ACLs of specified files in the
current directory and all subdirectories.
/M Changes ACLs of volumes mounted to a
directory.
/L Work on the Symbolic Link itself versus the
target.
/S Displays the SDDL string for the DACL.
/S:SDDL Replaces the ACLs with those specified in
the SDDL string (not valid with /E, /G, /R,
/P, or /D).
In DOS cacls works as follows:
Argument Description
/E Edit ACL instead of replacing it.
/C Continue on access denied errors.
/G user:? Grant specified user access rights.
? can be: R, W, C, or F
/R user Revoke specified user's access rights (only
valid with /E).
/P user:? Replace specified user's access rights.
? can be: R, W, C, or F
/D user Deny specified user access.
Add Read-Only permission to a single file
CACLS MakeABackup.bat /E /G "Power Users":R
Add Full Control permission to a second group of
users
CACLS MakeABackup.bat /E /G "FinanceUsers":F
Now revoke the Read permissions from the first group
CACLS MakeABackup.bat /E /R "Power Users"
Now give the first group Full Control
CACLS MakeABackup.bat /E /G "Power Users":F
Give Finance group Full Control of folder and all sub-folders
CACLS c:\docs\work /E /T /C /G "FinanceUsers":F
In Linux/Unix the Access Controls are:
◦ R: Read
◦ W: Write
◦ X: Execute
In Linux/Unix access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
User
User Group
World
In Linux/Unix access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
User -you
User Group – everyone in your group
World – everyone with a login to the system
In Linux/Unix access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
-rwxrwxrwx
User User Group World
In Linux/Unix access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
-rwxrwxrwx
-
111111111
In Linux/Unix access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
-rwxr-xr-x
-
111101101
In Linux/Unix access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
-rwx--x--x
-
101001001
In Linux/Unix access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
-rwxrwxrwx
-111111111
- 7 7
7
In Linux/Unix access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
-rwxr-xr-x
-111101101
- 7 5 5
In Linux/Unix access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
-rwx--x--x
-111001001
- 7 1 1
If we want to grant permissions to file, e.g.
MakeABackup.bat, we do:
chmod 755 MakeABackup.sh
chmod 777 MakeABackup.sh
chmod 700 MakeABackup.sh
-rwxrwxrwx
In Linux/Unix, access to a file can assigned to
one of three groups:
User User Group World
In Linux/Unix, access to a folder/directory
can assigned to one of three groups:
drwxrwxrwx
User User Group World
