Understanding Distributed File Systems: Google File System vs Hadoop Distributed File System

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Introduction to Filesystems

A filesystem is a fundamental component of an operating system that manages how data is stored and retrieved on storage devices. Traditional filesystems organize and track files on a single storage device, providing a logical structure of directories and files that users and applications can interact with.

Key Functions of Traditional Filesystems:

• Organizing files and directories
• Allocating storage space
• Tracking file metadata (size, permissions, timestamps, etc.)
• Providing APIs for file operations (create, read, write, delete)

Examples of Traditional Filesystems:

• FAT32 and NTFS for Windows
• ext4 and XFS for Linux
• APFS for macOS

The Rise of Distributed File Systems

As computing needs grew beyond single machines, distributed file systems (DFS) emerged to allow multiple clients to access shared storage resources across a network. A DFS manages files and storage across multiple servers or nodes…