In operating systems, files act as the logical unit of data storage that hides the complexity of physical storage devices. What is the main purpose of a file in this context?

• To translate binary code into machine instructions

• To provide a logical interface between user applications and physical storage

• To optimize CPU scheduling and cache memory usage

• To replicate files across multiple devices for redundancy

A user saves a new report on a flash drive. The operating system automatically records its size, creation time, and ownership information. What do we call this descriptive data attached to the file?

• File Header

• File Metadata

• File Cache

• File Control Block

When an operating system maintains information such as the name, type, and access permissions of a file, this data is typically stored in:

• The process control block

• The file control block (FCB)

• The inode list

• The system log

When a user edits a text document and saves it, what specific file operation occurs at the OS level?

• File read

• File write

• File seek

• File delete

The “seek” operation in file handling is best described as:

• Moving the file pointer to a specific location in a file

• Loading the file into main memory

• Compressing file content for faster transfer

• Copying data between two directories

A music application plays a playlist sequentially, starting from the first song and continuing until the last. Which file access method is being applied?

• Sequential access

• Random access

• Indexed access

• Direct access

In database systems where large records must be retrieved directly without reading previous ones, which access method is ideal?

• Indexed access

• Random access

• Sequential access

• Mapped access

A company stores its video archives using indexed access to allow faster searching. Which of the following best describes the structure of this method?

• Each record is accessed sequentially in fixed-size blocks

• Each file has an index table with pointers to the data blocks

• Data blocks are linked together using pointers

• Each block stores the full content of the file

What is a major disadvantage of sequential file access?

• It cannot read binary data

• It takes longer to reach middle records

• It cannot store text files

• It requires fixed-size blocks

A directory structure that allows subdirectories within directories, resembling an inverted tree, is known as:

• Linear directory

• Tree-structured directory

• Hierarchical directory

• Graph-based directory