Term
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Definition
| Name, identifier, type, location, size, protection. |
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Term
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Definition
| Create, write, read, reposition within a file, delete, truncating. |
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Term
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Definition
| Symbolic file name. Only information kept in human-readable form. |
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Term
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Definition
| What kind of file it is. .txt .png .mov .mkv .pdf that kind of stuff. |
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Term
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Definition
| Pointer to a device and to the location of the file on that device. |
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Term
| Current-File-Position Pointer |
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Definition
| Where the pointer in the file is currently pointing to. The current operation location. Is per-process. |
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Term
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Definition
| A lock that signifies that some process is reading the file. |
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Term
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Definition
| A lock that signifies that some process is writing a file. Can only be obtain if nothing is reading the file. |
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Term
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Definition
| A number placed at the beginning of some file that signifies the file type. Not always supported. |
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Term
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Definition
| Simplest access method. Information in the file is processed in order, one record after the other. Most files use this. |
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Term
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Definition
| A file is made up of fixed-length logical records that allow programs to read and write records rapidly in no particular order. Databases commonly use this. |
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Term
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Definition
| Fixed-Length records used for direct access methods. |
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Term
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Definition
| Each volume that contains a file system must contain information about the files in the system. This information is kept in entries in a device directory. Records information for all files on that volume. |
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Term
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Definition
| All files are contained in the same directory. Very simple and easy to support. However, does not support folders, or multiple users. Not practical. |
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Term
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Definition
| Allows for folders to be used. Often these folders are for different users. Still not really used. |
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Term
| Tree-Structured Directory |
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Definition
| Folders can contain folders. Much more useful and common. Users can now make their own directories to organize their files. |
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Term
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Definition
| The directory that contains most of the files that are of current interest to the process. When reference is made to a file, the current directory is searched. |
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Term
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Definition
| The path name for a file that starts at root and follows a path down to the specified file, giving the directory names on the path. |
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Term
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Definition
| Defines the path from the current directory. |
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Term
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Definition
| Allows for shared directories. Is like the tree structure but since shared files and directories are allowed, is slightly different. |
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Term
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Definition
| A dumb idea. Don't do this. Allows for cycles in the file-system which adds lots of complexity for everything involving the file system. Again, don't do this. |
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Term
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Definition
| A pointer to another file or subdirectory. |
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Term
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Definition
| Similar to opening a file before using it. The directory structure can be built out of multiple volumes, which must be mounted to make them available within the file-system name space. |
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Term
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Definition
| The location within the file structure where the file system is to be attached. Generally is an empty directory. |
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Term
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Definition
| Specify how multiple users of a system are to access a shared file simultaneously. They specify when modifications of data by one user will be observable by other users. |
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Term
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Definition
| Writes to an open file by a user are visible immediately to other users that have the file open. One mode of sharing allows users to share the pointer of current location into the file. This the advancing of the pointer by one user affects all sharing users. |
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Term
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Definition
| AFS uses this. Writes to an open file by a user are not visible immediately to other users that have the same file open. Once a file is close, the changes made to it are visible only in session starting later. Already open instances do not reflect changes. |
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Term
| Immutable-Shared-File Semantics |
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Definition
| Once a file is shared by its creator it cannot be changed. Its name may not be reused, and its contents cannot be altered. |
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Term
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Definition
| A list of all users with rights to a file, and what rights they have. Can specify all users to have some set of rights. |
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Term
| Owner (for a file system object) |
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Definition
| The user who created the file. |
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Term
| Group (for a file system object) |
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Definition
| A set of users who are sharing the file and need similar access. |
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Term
| Universe (for access to a file system object) |
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Definition
| All other users in the system. |
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