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Introduction

A file system is a data store used to organize and store files on a computer or network. It provides a hierarchical structure for storing and accessing files.

Key Characteristics

Structured data
Simple queries
Transactions
Joins

CAP Theorem

General CAP Theorem Handling

A file system is designed to handle the CAP theorem by prioritizing consistency and availability over partition tolerance.

Guarantee of Consistency

A file system provides strict consistency, which means that updates to the database are immediately visible to all nodes in the system.

Guarantee of Availability

A file system achieves high availability by replicating data across multiple nodes in the system. If one node fails, another node can take over without any downtime.

Guarantee of Partition Tolerance

A file system is not designed to handle partition tolerance. If a network partition occurs, the system may become unavailable.

Usage

Best Usage

The best file system usage is for applications that require simple file storage and retrieval, such as document management systems, media libraries, and backup systems.

Neutral Usage

A file system can also be used for structured data storage and retrieval applications, such as financial, inventory management, and customer relationship management systems.

Worst Usage

The worst file system usage is for applications requiring complex queries and transactions, such as e-commerce websites or real-time data processing.

System Design Role

A file system is well-suited for single-node systems requiring simple storage and retrieval. It can also be used in distributed systems as a secondary data store for backup and archiving.

Data Model

A file system uses a hierarchical data model, which organizes files into directories and subdirectories. The advantages of this data model are simplicity and ease of use. The disadvantages are limited support for complex queries and transactions.

Query Language

A file system does not use a query language. Instead, files are accessed using file paths and file names.

Scalability

How to Make it Performant

Indexing is used to optimize file access to make a file system performant. This involves creating an index of the files that are optimized for the types of queries that will be performed.

High Traffic Handling

A file system can handle high traffic by replicating data across multiple nodes and using load balancing to distribute file access evenly. It is well-suited for high-read workloads but may not be as well-suited for high-write workloads.

How to Scale it

A file system can be scaled horizontally by adding more nodes. However, this can be difficult to achieve without introducing data consistency issues.

Usage in Distributed Systems

A file system can be used in a distributed system as a secondary data store for backup and archiving. Specific considerations to keep in mind include data consistency, network latency, and fault tolerance.

Replication

A file system handles replication by replicating data across multiple nodes in the system. Best practices for replication include using a master-slave or master-master replication model, monitoring replication lag, and using automatic failover.

In Practice

Best Practices

When using a file system, best practices include optimizing file access, monitoring performance, using appropriate indexing strategies, and following security best practices.

Common Pitfalls

Common pitfalls to avoid when using a file system include over-indexing, under-indexing, not monitoring performance, not following security best practices, and not optimizing file access.

Examples

Amazon S3
Google Cloud Storage
Microsoft Azure Blob Storage.