Question

Explain the following term in brief:

Tape - based file system

Answer 1

A tape-based file system stores data on magnetic tapes in a sequential manner.

• Data is written and read in order (sequential access), not randomly.
• Each tape has a directory that keeps track of file names and their locations.
• It is simple but slow, because finding a file takes time.
• Modifying a file is difficult, as it may require copying the entire tape.
• Mainly used for backup, archival storage, and data transfer between systems.