Prepared By:
Mehta Ishani
1300407010030
File models and file accessing
models
Contents
2
File models
Unstructured and structured files
Mutable and immutable files
File accessing models
Accessing remote files
Unit of data transfer
Unstructured files
3
Simplest model
File – unstructured sequence of data
No substructure
Contents – un interpreted sequence of bytes
Unix, MS-Dos
Modern OS used this model because sharing of files is easier
in compared with structured file model
Since file has no structure then different applications can
interpret the contents of files in many different ways.
Structured files
4
Rarely used
File – ordered sequence of records
Files – different types, different size and different properties
Record – smallest unit of data that can be accessed
Two categories
Files with non indexed records
Files with indexed records
Structured files
5
Files with non indexed records
File records is accessed by specifying it’s position within file
For ex. Fifth record from beginning, second record from end
Files with indexed records
Records have one or more key fields that can be addressed by
specifying values
File is maintained as B-tree or other suitable data structure or
hash table to locate records quickly
File attributes
6
Information describing that files
Has name and value
Contains information such has owner, size, access
permission, date of creation, date of last modification and
date of last access
User can read the value of any attribute but can’t change
modify it
Maintained and used by directory service because they are
subject to different access control
Mutable files
7
Used by most existing os
Update performed on files overwrites on old contents to
produce new contents
File is represented as a single stored sequence and that is
altered by each update operation
Immutable files
8
Cedar files system
File can not be modified once it has been created except to
be deleted
 file versioning approach is used, a new version of file is
created when change is made rather than updating same file
In practice storage space may be reduced by keeping only
differences rather than created whole file again
Sharing is much easier because it supports caching and
replication which eliminates the problem of keeping multiple
consistent copies
Immutable files
9
Suffering from two issues
Increased use of disk space
Increased disk allocation activity
CFS uses keep parameter as the no. of most current version
of file to be retained.
Accessing remote files
10
One of the following model is used when request to access
remote file
Remote service model
Data catching model
Remote service model
11
Processing of client request is performed at server’s node
Client request is delivered to server and server machine
performs on it and returns replies to client
Request and replies transferred across network as message
File server interface and communication protocol must be
designed carefully so as to minimize the overhead of
generating the messages
Every remote file access results in traffic
Data catching model
12
Reduced the amount of network traffic by taking advantage
of locality feature
If requested data is not present locally then copied it from
server’s node to client node and catching there
LRU is used to keep the cache size bounded
Cache Consistency problem
Unit of data transfer
13
Refers to fraction of file data that is transferred to and from
client as a result of single read write operation
Four data transfer models
File level transfer model
Block level transfer model
Byte level transfer model
Record level transfer model
File level transfer model
14
When the operation required file data, the whole file is
moved
Advantages are
Efficient because network protocol overhead is required only
once
Better scalability because it requires fewer access to file server
and reduce server load and network traffic
Disk access routines on server can be better optimized
Offers degree of resiliency to server and network failure
Drawbacks is it requires sufficient storage space
Ex are amoeba, CFS, Andrew file system
Block level transfer model
15
file data transfer take place in units of data blocks
A file block is contiguous portion of file and fixed in length
Advantage is does not required large storage space
Drawback is more network traffic and more network
protocol overhead
Poor performance
Ex are Sun microsystem’s NFS, Apollo domain file system
Byte level transfer model
16
File data transfer take place in units of bytes
Provides maximum flexibility
Difficulty in cache management
Record level transfer model
17
Suitable with structured files
File data transfer take place in unit of records
Ex. RSS(research storage system)
18

File models and file accessing models

  • 1.
    Prepared By: Mehta Ishani 1300407010030 Filemodels and file accessing models
  • 2.
    Contents 2 File models Unstructured andstructured files Mutable and immutable files File accessing models Accessing remote files Unit of data transfer
  • 3.
    Unstructured files 3 Simplest model File– unstructured sequence of data No substructure Contents – un interpreted sequence of bytes Unix, MS-Dos Modern OS used this model because sharing of files is easier in compared with structured file model Since file has no structure then different applications can interpret the contents of files in many different ways.
  • 4.
    Structured files 4 Rarely used File– ordered sequence of records Files – different types, different size and different properties Record – smallest unit of data that can be accessed Two categories Files with non indexed records Files with indexed records
  • 5.
    Structured files 5 Files withnon indexed records File records is accessed by specifying it’s position within file For ex. Fifth record from beginning, second record from end Files with indexed records Records have one or more key fields that can be addressed by specifying values File is maintained as B-tree or other suitable data structure or hash table to locate records quickly
  • 6.
    File attributes 6 Information describingthat files Has name and value Contains information such has owner, size, access permission, date of creation, date of last modification and date of last access User can read the value of any attribute but can’t change modify it Maintained and used by directory service because they are subject to different access control
  • 7.
    Mutable files 7 Used bymost existing os Update performed on files overwrites on old contents to produce new contents File is represented as a single stored sequence and that is altered by each update operation
  • 8.
    Immutable files 8 Cedar filessystem File can not be modified once it has been created except to be deleted  file versioning approach is used, a new version of file is created when change is made rather than updating same file In practice storage space may be reduced by keeping only differences rather than created whole file again Sharing is much easier because it supports caching and replication which eliminates the problem of keeping multiple consistent copies
  • 9.
    Immutable files 9 Suffering fromtwo issues Increased use of disk space Increased disk allocation activity CFS uses keep parameter as the no. of most current version of file to be retained.
  • 10.
    Accessing remote files 10 Oneof the following model is used when request to access remote file Remote service model Data catching model
  • 11.
    Remote service model 11 Processingof client request is performed at server’s node Client request is delivered to server and server machine performs on it and returns replies to client Request and replies transferred across network as message File server interface and communication protocol must be designed carefully so as to minimize the overhead of generating the messages Every remote file access results in traffic
  • 12.
    Data catching model 12 Reducedthe amount of network traffic by taking advantage of locality feature If requested data is not present locally then copied it from server’s node to client node and catching there LRU is used to keep the cache size bounded Cache Consistency problem
  • 13.
    Unit of datatransfer 13 Refers to fraction of file data that is transferred to and from client as a result of single read write operation Four data transfer models File level transfer model Block level transfer model Byte level transfer model Record level transfer model
  • 14.
    File level transfermodel 14 When the operation required file data, the whole file is moved Advantages are Efficient because network protocol overhead is required only once Better scalability because it requires fewer access to file server and reduce server load and network traffic Disk access routines on server can be better optimized Offers degree of resiliency to server and network failure Drawbacks is it requires sufficient storage space Ex are amoeba, CFS, Andrew file system
  • 15.
    Block level transfermodel 15 file data transfer take place in units of data blocks A file block is contiguous portion of file and fixed in length Advantage is does not required large storage space Drawback is more network traffic and more network protocol overhead Poor performance Ex are Sun microsystem’s NFS, Apollo domain file system
  • 16.
    Byte level transfermodel 16 File data transfer take place in units of bytes Provides maximum flexibility Difficulty in cache management
  • 17.
    Record level transfermodel 17 Suitable with structured files File data transfer take place in unit of records Ex. RSS(research storage system)
  • 18.