File Systems: Online Learning Quizzes for Operating Systems

Question 1

Which file allocation method provides efficient and flexible access to files of varying sizes, regardless of their physical location on the storage device?

Accepted Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Chained allocation

Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Scattered allocation

Question 2

Within the realm of file systems, which of the following techniques is NOT a recognized method for allocating files?

Accepted Answer

Hashing

Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Question 3

To optimize performance and efficiency when storing a large file on a hard disk drive that will be accessed sequentially, which file allocation method is most suitable?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Hybrid allocation

Question 4

To minimize disk access times for a specific file, which file allocation method is optimal and why?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous Allocation

Answer

Linked Allocation

Answer

Indexed Allocation

Answer

Scatter Allocation

Question 5

Which file allocation method is ideal for storing large files that might be spread across several disk blocks?

Accepted Answer

Extent-based allocation

Answer

Bitmaps

Answer

Linked lists

Answer

i-nodes

Question 6

Which file allocation method allocates contiguous disk space to files, potentially minimizing fragmentation but possibly leading to inefficient storage space utilization?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Scattered allocation

Question 7

In a file system, which organization method enhances performance by clustering frequently accessed files in a specific disk region?

Accepted Answer

Cylinder Groups

Answer

Random Allocation

Answer

Sequential Allocation

Answer

Indexed Allocation

Question 8

In a journaling file system, what is the primary purpose of using a journal?

Accepted Answer

Ensure data integrity

Answer

Enhance system performance

Answer

Minimize disk space utilization

Answer

Expedite system boot times

Question 9

What is a key advantage of utilizing a journaling file system?

Accepted Answer

Improved data integrity

Answer

Enhanced performance

Answer

Reduced disk space consumption

Answer

Increased security measures

Question 10

In a journaling file system, which component records a chronological log of all file system changes to ensure data consistency during system failures?

Accepted Answer

Write-ahead log

Answer

Master file table

Answer

File allocation table

Answer

Inode table

Question 11

For storing large files on a disk, which file allocation method provides optimal efficiency?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Hybrid allocation

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a primary file allocation method in operating systems?

Accepted Answer

RAID

Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked list allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Question 13

Which file allocation method assigns a continuous series of disk blocks to a file?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous

Answer

Chaining

Answer

Indexed

Answer

Scattered

Question 14

Which disk scheduling algorithm prioritizes servicing I/O requests with the shortest seek time first?

Accepted Answer

Shortest Seek Time First (SSTF)

Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

SCAN

Answer

RAID

Question 15

Which file allocation method allocates contiguous blocks of disk space to a file, enhancing sequential access performance?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Bit-mapped allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Question 16

Which of the following is **not** a disk scheduling algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Round-Robin

Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Shortest Seek Time First (SSTF)

Answer

Scan

Question 17

Which file allocation method stores a file as a series of blocks connected by pointers on the disk?

Accepted Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Paging

Question 18

Which file allocation method stores a file as a continuous block of space on the disk?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous Allocation

Answer

Linked Allocation

Answer

Indexed Allocation

Answer

Scattered Allocation

Question 19

Which of the following is not a common file allocation method used in operating systems?

Accepted Answer

RAID

Answer

FAT32

Answer

NTFS

Answer

Ext4

Question 20

Which file allocation method ensures that all data blocks of a file are stored consecutively on the disk, without any gaps or fragmentation?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous Allocation

Answer

Linked Allocation

Answer

Indexed Allocation

Answer

Scattered Allocation

Question 21

For large files accessed sequentially, which file system allocation method minimizes disk access time?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Question 22

What is a potential drawback of utilizing a journaling file system?

Accepted Answer

Increased overhead

Answer

Enhanced performance

Answer

Boosted reliability

Answer

Quicker recovery from crashes

Question 23

Which file allocation method stores a file as a series of fixed-size blocks on the disk, each identified by a unique block number?

Accepted Answer

Block allocation

Answer

Sequential allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Question 24

Which file allocation method stores files as blocks, with each block containing a portion of the file, and uses a table or index to track the location of each block?

Accepted Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Question 25

Which of the following is a memory management technique and not a file allocation method?

Accepted Answer

Virtual memory

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Sequential allocation

Question 26

What is a primary advantage of using a distributed file system?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced reliability and data accessibility

Answer

Faster data retrieval

Answer

Lower hardware expenses

Question 27

Which directory structure allows for the creation of subdirectories and deeper levels of organization, resembling a tree-like structure?

Accepted Answer

Hierarchical directory structure

Answer

Flat directory structure

Answer

Inode-based directory structure

Answer

Path-based directory structure

Question 28

Compared to traditional file systems, a key disadvantage of journaling file systems is:

Accepted Answer

Dependency on a separate non-volatile memory component

Answer

Enhanced data integrity through transaction logging

Answer

Reduced write amplification due to write-ahead logging

Answer

Increased write performance for sequential data

Question 29

In an inode-based file system, which data structure holds the metadata of a file, such as its size, permissions, and location on the storage device?

Accepted Answer

Inode

Answer

Block

Answer

Directory

Question 30

Which disk scheduling algorithm prioritizes servicing requests based on their proximity to the current disk head position, minimizing seek time?

Accepted Answer

SSTF (Shortest Seek Time First)

Answer

FCFS (First Come First Serve)

Answer

SCAN (Elevator Algorithm)

Answer

C-SCAN (Circular SCAN)

Question 31

Which disk scheduling algorithm aims to minimize the total time spent moving the disk's read/write head?

Accepted Answer

Shortest Seek Time First (SSTF)

Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Scan

Answer

Circular-Scan

Question 32

For optimal sequential file access performance, which file allocation method should be used to assign disk space to a file in a continuous block?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Scattered allocation

Question 33

What is a primary advantage of using a journaling file system?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced data recovery and consistency after system failures

Answer

Elimination of file fragmentation for faster file access

Answer

Improved performance for write-intensive operations like database management

Question 34

Within a file system, which component translates logical block addresses into physical block addresses?

Accepted Answer

File Allocation Table (FAT)

Answer

Directory Structure

Answer

Buffer Cache

Question 35

In a file system, metadata attributes provide crucial information about files. Which specific metadata attribute is used to track the locations of data fragments for files that are fragmented?

Accepted Answer

Fragmentation map

Answer

File size

Answer

File owner

Answer

Access rights

Question 36

Which disadvantage is associated with journaling file systems?

Accepted Answer

Increased memory consumption

Answer

Reduced latency for read operations

Answer

Enhanced write caching efficiency

Question 37

Within the realm of file systems, which metadata attribute assumes paramount importance in facilitating data recovery and preserving data integrity in the event of system failures or interruptions?

Accepted Answer

File checksum

Answer

File modification timestamp

Answer

File owner

Question 38

In a file system, which allocation method allocates a continuous block of storage for each file, preventing fragmentation?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Scattered allocation

Question 39

Which disk scheduling algorithm prioritizes minimizing seek time by scheduling disk I/O requests based on their proximity to the current head position?

Accepted Answer

Shortest Seek Time First (SSTF)

Answer

First-Come-First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Scan

Answer

Circular-Scan (C-SCAN)

Question 40

In a file system, which file organization method utilizes a hierarchical structure, organizing files into specific directories for efficient management and retrieval?

Accepted Answer

Hierarchical Organization

Answer

Flat Organization

Answer

Linear Organization

Question 41

Which disk scheduling algorithm generally results in the shortest average seek time?

Accepted Answer

Shortest Seek Time First (SSTF)

Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

SCAN

Answer

C-SCAN

Question 42

Which metadata attribute tracks the disk blocks that make up a fragmented file?

Accepted Answer

Block pointers

Answer

File size

Answer

Modification date

Answer

File permissions

Question 43

What is the main purpose of a file system?

Accepted Answer

Map logical file paths to physical storage locations

Answer

Manage user permissions and data security

Answer

Optimize network performance for data transfer

Answer

Provide a user interface for file manipulation

Question 44

Which allocation method is not used for file storage?

Accepted Answer

Scattered allocation

Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Question 45

Which file allocation method assigns files to fixed-size blocks, leading to internal fragmentation?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Question 46

For a file system, which allocation method is optimal for storing and accessing large files that are primarily processed sequentially?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous Allocation

Answer

Linked Allocation

Answer

Indexed Allocation

Answer

Hybrid Allocation

Question 47

Which file allocation method ensures that all blocks of a file are stored in consecutive disk blocks, optimizing file access efficiency?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Hybrid allocation

Question 48

Which file system allocation method stores the file as a continuous block of disk space?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Linked allocation

Answer

Indexed allocation

Answer

Hybrid allocation

Question 49

For an application that requires efficient storage and retrieval of large files, which file system structure is more suitable: contiguous allocation or linked allocation? Explain your choice.

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation, as it provides faster access to large files by storing data in contiguous blocks.

Answer

Linked allocation, as it allows for efficient storage of files of varying sizes and reduces file fragmentation.

Answer

Both contiguous and linked allocation are equally suitable, as the performance difference is negligible for large files.

Answer

Neither contiguous nor linked allocation is suitable, as they both suffer from performance issues with large files.

Question 50

In a file system, what is the main purpose of a bitmap?

Accepted Answer

To indicate which blocks belong to a specific file

Answer

To store file metadata, such as file size and modification time

Answer

To translate virtual memory addresses to physical memory addresses

Question 51

How does a log-structured file system's performance differ from a traditional file system?

Accepted Answer

Log-structured file systems usually write faster but read slower.

Answer

Log-structured file systems usually read faster but write slower.

Answer

Log-structured and traditional file systems perform similarly.

Answer

Log-structured file systems are outdated.

Question 52

In a file system, describe the distinct roles of a directory allocation table (DAT) and a file allocation table (FAT), emphasizing their differences.

Accepted Answer

DAT maintains the mapping between directory names and their corresponding disk block addresses, while FAT tracks the allocation of disk blocks for files.

Answer

DAT stores file metadata, such as size and creation date, while FAT manages directory locations on the disk.

Answer

DAT and FAT are interchangeable terms for the same data structure.

Answer

FAT tracks directory locations, while DAT tracks file locations.

Question 53

File systems employ various techniques to safeguard files and regulate access. Describe the key mechanisms used to protect files and control access.

Accepted Answer

Access Control Lists (ACLs) define permissions for specific users and groups, determining their access levels to files.

Accepted Answer

File attributes store metadata, including ownership and access rights, which are essential for enforcing file security.

Accepted Answer

Encryption transforms file contents into an encoded format, making them inaccessible to unauthorized individuals.

Question 54

What is a key advantage of using a column-oriented file system?

Accepted Answer

Improved performance for queries involving specific columns

Answer

Increased storage efficiency by eliminating redundant data

Answer

Enhanced data integrity and consistency

Answer

Reduced complexity of data management and maintenance

Question 55

What is a primary disadvantage of contiguous allocation?

Accepted Answer

External fragmentation

Answer

Internal fragmentation

Answer

Slow access time

Answer

High memory usage

Question 56

What is the primary purpose of a file system catalog?

Accepted Answer

To store file metadata

Answer

To allocate disk space for files

Answer

To schedule disk I/O requests

Answer

To ensure data integrity

Question 57

What is a key difference between hard links and symbolic links?

Accepted Answer

Symbolic links can be created across file systems, while hard links cannot.

Answer

Hard links point to specific files, while symbolic links point to directories.

Answer

Hard links allow multiple files to share the same data, while symbolic links do not.

Answer

Symbolic links are faster to access than hard links.

Question 58

What is the main benefit of using a file system cache?

Accepted Answer

To improve performance by storing frequently accessed data

Answer

To ensure data integrity by storing redundant copies of data

Answer

To protect data from unauthorized access by encrypting it

Answer

To manage disk space by allocating free space efficiently

Question 59

What is the primary function of a superblock in a file system?

Accepted Answer

To store the size and location of the file system

Answer

To manage the allocation of disk blocks

Answer

To provide access control information for files and directories

Answer

To track the usage of the file system

Question 60

In file systems, which mechanism is primarily employed to guarantee data integrity and prevent simultaneous file modification by multiple users?

Accepted Answer

File locking and semaphores

Answer

File permissions and access control lists

Answer

Encryption and decryption algorithms

Question 61

Which file system provides efficient snapshot and clone capabilities for backup and disaster recovery?

Accepted Answer

Btrfs

Answer

Ext4

Answer

NTFS

Answer

FAT32

Question 62

How does a file system leverage caching techniques to optimize file access performance?

Accepted Answer

Prefetching frequently accessed blocks into memory

Answer

Optimizing the order of disk requests

Answer

Reducing file size through compression

Question 63

In cloud computing, which strategy is most effective in reducing the risk of substantial data loss caused by hardware failure?

Accepted Answer

Implementing data replication across multiple physical storage devices

Answer

Storing all data on a single, high-performance storage device

Answer

Using a file system with automatic data recovery capabilities

Question 64

Which indexing technique utilizes a hierarchical data structure resembling a tree to expedite data retrieval?

Accepted Answer

B-Tree

Answer

Hashing

Answer

Linear Search

Answer

Bitmap