Title: Module 5 Introduction
Course: CGS 1560 Microcomputer Operating Systems > Section: Module 5 - Major OS File Systems

In the early years of microcomputers, file storage initially consisted of tape drives where files were stored serially. You would have to zero the tape counter then save a program to the tape and record the start and stop counter number. To retrieve a program you would fast forward to the counter number and hit play to start the loading process.

The next phase of evolution was the floppy disk which offered a more dynamic way of accessing data. This new format used sectors and tracks to store and retrieve data from a diskette. The earliest disk drives often cost more than the computers that used them. Alan Shugart (1930-2006), is considered the inventor of the floppy disk and later the founder of Shugart Technology which later became Seagate Technology a dominant force in producing drive storage.

MS-DOS was the first operating system to actually use a File Allocation Table or FAT which used tracks and sectors to store files. It did not, however, offer any type of file optimization. File optimization had to be accomplished with a special program called a utility. With the advent of the hard disk drive and a dramatic increase in file storage a better system had to be developed. A constant stream of improvements led to the file systems that are in use today. It is essential to understand which file system to use with a particular OS and what features are available for a given file system to use.

Instructional Goal

The purpose of this module is to acquire a basic knowledge of how file systems work with the OS.

Module Objectives

Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:

- Identify the functions that a file system performs
- Describe the main file systems used in Windows, Linux and Mac OSs
- Outline the basic strengths and weaknesses of Windows, Linux and Mac file systems

Readings and Resources

- Textbook, Chapter 4

- From BFS to ZFS: past, present, and future of file systems
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2008/03/past-present-future-file-systems/1/