File Systems

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File Systems
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What is a file system?

• A system by which an operating system or program
  keeps track of files on a medium.

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Microsoft

• FAT
• Created before DOS
• Used in all versions of DOS and the Windows 9x
  series
• Prone to fragmentation and no file protection
• NTFS
• Much more advanced then FAT
• Contains features such as per file/folder
  protection, transparent encryption/compression,
  and journaling
• Used in Windows NT series including
  2000/XP/2003/Vista
• WinFS
• Database file system
• Yet to be released

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Linux

• Ext 1/2/3
• First file system created on top of Linuxs VFS
• Standard file system on most distributions
• ReiserFS
• Generally quicker file access
• Stores all data on disk in a BTree
• Contains protection against fragmentation
• Gnome VFS
• Virtual File System
• Allows for one common API

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Mac OS

• HFS
• Created to deal with Mac OSs more data rich
  environment
• HFS
• Also known as Mac OS Extended
• Journaling added later

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Removable Media

• Floppy
• Most use FAT
• USB
• Most use FAT, but larger size drives can use
  other file systems
• CD/DVD
• ISO-9660
• UDF

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Network

• Network File System (NFS)
• Created by Sun Microsystems
• Handed over to Internet Engineering Task Force
  (IETF)
• Created before the popularity of TCP
• Built with UNIX-style file system in mind
• Server Message Block (SMB)
• Also known as Common Internet File System (CIFS)
• Used by Microsoft for all their Windows operating
  systems
• Dominates the market
• Open source implementation called Samba

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Special File Systems on Unix

• /dev
• Stores device nodes
• Used for I/O to connected devices
• /proc
• Holds information about the system
• System Temperatures
• CPU features
• Fan Control
• Provides another interface to connected devices

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Questions?