Computer Science – Data storage | e-Consult
Data storage (1 questions)
The operating system (OS) plays a crucial role in managing secondary storage. It's responsible for organizing and accessing data stored on devices like hard drives and SSDs.
File Systems: A file system is a method used by the OS to organize files on a storage device. It defines how data is stored, named, and accessed. Common file systems include FAT32, NTFS (Windows), and ext4 (Linux). Each file system has its own structure and limitations.
Data Organization: The OS organizes data on secondary storage using a hierarchical structure, typically a tree-like structure of directories (folders) and files.
Here's a simplified example of how data might be organized:
| Directory Structure |
| / (Root Directory) |
| /Documents/ |
| /Documents/MyFiles/ |
| file1.txt |
The OS uses a file system to keep track of the location of files (e.g., file names, sizes, locations on the disk) and to manage access permissions. It handles tasks like allocating disk space, managing free space, and ensuring data integrity. Without an OS and a file system, data on secondary storage would be unorganized and inaccessible.