File-Systems and meta-data I/O

• File systems differ from raw device access due to their handling of meta-data.
• Whenever we open a file - a lot of meta-data reading and/or writing activity takes place.
• During I/O operations to a file - some meta-data may also need to be managed.
• Let us see what's going on behind the scenes.
• We will encounter directory hierarchy traversals, file heads, file blocks or extents and journals.

Originally written by guy keren