File Processing In Windows/Linux

Windows XP File Processing

Within Windows there are two methods that a user or administrator can obtain access to files stored on the hard drive or media source.

In the Windows operating system, files that are operating system specific (files needed in order for the operating system to work) are normally on the primary drive which is usually the C:\ drive. On a Windows based PC during the setup process, a user has the choice of where the operating system files are stored and what file system Windows will be using. With Windows XP/2000 there are two file system types to choose from, FAT and NTFS. FAT is an acronym for file allocation table, and NTFS is an acronym for New Technology File System. Windows XP also supports two types of file systems on CD-ROM and DVD (Compact Disc File systems [CDFS] and Universal Disk Format [UDF]).

Primarily the Windows XP/2000operating system uses the NTFS file system. The NTFS file system uses the cluster scheme that is seen in FAT for allocating data, but for a given drive, it has less overhead. A computer system's overhead is its cost of doing business because it must use processing time and memory to run the operating system. If there is a concern with security, performance, and efficiency, or if very large capacity hard drives are being used, then NTFS is the one to choose. With NTFS the security of files and folders can be managed. NTFS also offers other major advantages. These include:

* The ability to assign permissions to each file and folder on the disk.

* More efficient storage of data on large hard disks.

* Faster access to files and folders.

* Better data recovery because a log is kept of disk activities so if there is a disk failure; Windows can restore the disk based on the log file.

* Ability to compress files, allowing more data to be stored on a disk.

* Ability to assign disk quotas, which allow limits to be set on how much disk space a user may have.

* Encryption of files for better security.

As mentioned before, there are two ways that files may be accessed within Windows. One way is through the Command Line or otherwise known as the DOS (Disk Operating System) Command Prompt. This is the operating systems text-based command line shell program that allows for file access and file manipulation. Files are viewed, accessed, modified, and manipulated by typing text-based commands into the command line or DOS prompt. This allows for faster file access, but without a graphical visualization of the files and their locations. The second method of file access and processing within Windows is through the GUI (Graphical User Interface) shell.

Windows has a GUI shell interface that is known as Explorer. Explorer (explorer.exe), explorer is the name of the executable file that is launched from within Windows that enables the user to view, edit, and manipulate files that are stored on the hard drive, CD-ROM, 3.5 Floppy Disk, USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drive, and any other internal/external storage device or networked storage device. File access through the GUI shell is slower than through the Command Prompt, but the user is able to visually see the files that they are processing.

Linux File Processing

File processing in Linux is much like file processing in Windows. Depending on which flavor of Linux/UNIX that is being used will depend upon the choices for file access and processing. Unlike Windows, Linux needs the hard drive to be in at least two partitions. Windows does not require that the hard drive be partitioned in two or more parts. Linux creates two partitions. One partition is the primary partition or the data partition and the other partition is for the swap file, this partition is also called the swap partition. The data partition is for normal Linux system data, including the root partition containing all of the data required to start up and run the system. The swap partition is an expansion of the computers physical memory, extra memory contained on the hard disk.

Most systems contain a root partition, one or more data partitions and one or more swap partitions. Systems in mixed environments may contain partitions for other system data, such as a partition with a FAT or VFAT file system for MS Windows data. The standard Linux partitions have number 82 for swap and 83 for data, which can be journaled (ext3) or normal (ext2, on older systems). Swap space is only accessible for the system itself, and is hidden from view during normal operation. Swap is the system that ensures, like on normal UNIX systems, that you can keep on working, whatever happens. On Linux, you will never see irritating messages like Out of memory, please close some applications first and try again, because of this extra memory. Using memory on a hard disk is naturally slower than using the real memory chips of a computer, but having this little extra is a great comfort. Linux generally counts on having twice the amount of physical memory in the form of swap space on the hard disk. The rest of the hard disk(s) is generally divided in data partitions, although it may be that all of the non-system critical data resides on one partition, for example when you perform a standard workstation installation. When non-critical data is separated on different partitions, it usually happens following a set pattern:

* a partition for user programs

* a partition containing the users' personal data

* a partition to store temporary data like print- and mail-queues

* a partition for third party and extra software

The division of hard disks into partitions is determined by the system administrator. On larger systems, he or she may even spread one partition over several hard disks, using the appropriate software. Most distributions allow for standard setups optimized for workstations (average users) and for general server purposes, but also accept customized partitions (Garrels, 2003).

Again, much like Windows, Linux has at the minimum has two methods of file access and processing. The first is that of a command line interface, much like that of windows. The Linux command line interface is known as the terminal or console. The terminal is a text-based interface that allows the user fast access to the file system. The user may manipulate the files necessary either as a restricted user or as the root user. Linux/UNIX protects the files on the system from the console interface so