The file access method will vary for the operating systems that you are using. The operating systems will always follow the particular method for easy access and to quickly complete the process. Thus, the information of the file you will access will be read and then stored in the computer memory. Since not all operating systems will use only one access method for getting the files, the types of file access methods in os will vary accordingly. When the os has only one access method, it is done using the machine, but when it comes to multiple access methods, you will find the suitable OS. Thus, the files are accessed and then stored in the memory with the help of various access methods.
File allocation methods in OS
The clear hard disk will be easily allocated with the help of this file allocation method. There are different types of methods present for the allocation of the files in the memory space that is present in the operating system. Thus, according to the size of the space in the hard disk, it is comfortable for the operating system to allocate the files in the particular memory space to efficiently run the system. Thus, when the allocation is good, it is easy to access the files for the users, which means that the process will be simple. The different methods that this file allocation process will occur are
1.Contiguous file allocation
The allocation of the files in the hard disk will be in an adjacent manner. Thus this procedure of allocation is the contiguous one for the users.
2. Linked file allocation
This is similar to the contiguous allocation, but the distribution of the stored blocks will be in a scattered manner. Therefore using the pointer that is present in the block, it is easy for the system to find the next block that is present in the particular hard disk which is scattered. Thus there is no need to search for the blocks when they are spread everywhere on the hard disk.
3. Indexed file allocation
This method will follow the same process of linked file allocation in this block, but the main thing is that it provides the opportunity to store the pointers of the various blocks in the same index box to avoid searching them. Thus the blocks will be retrieved sequentially with the help of the indexed block present here.
4. File allocation table
The file system that the hard drives will utilize is this file allocation table from Microsoft. This table will be useful for allocating the clusters of the files in the respected memory space, and also these files are linked together with the help of the directories and files.
5. Inode
This is the kind of data structure where the files are kept track of in the Linux system. This will store all the information, but the file name and actual content of the file name will be eradicated.
File access methods in OS tutorials point
The file access methods in os are of three types: sequential access, direct access, and indexed sequential access. Thus all these types of methods will be more comfortable for storing the files in the memory with the proper care and efficient process.
- Sequential
The information that is present in the file will have unique access sequentially, that is one record after the other. The operation of the read next will help the pointer to read it currently, and then the pointer will get advanced to the next file. Thus when it comes to the write next, it will get appended to the end of the file, and then it will move to the newly written file.
- Direct access
This is the kind of access method that allows the operating system to read and write the file in any order directly. The length of the record will be fixed, but this process will occur quickly.
- Indexed sequential method
This is also one of file access methods in os which help to read the file. Therefore, when you want to read the file, you have to search for the index for that particular file, and then you have to use the pointer, which is stored in bulk, to identify the particular file directly. This method is present on top of the sequential method, which is why it contains this name.
FAQs about File access methods in os
What are various file access methods?
The various file access methods for accessing the OS are sequential, direct, and indexed sequentially.
Which file access method does not allow random access to the file records?
As the name indicates, the sequential access method will support only accessing the files in the proper sequence.