Elementary Information Security, 3rd Edition

▶ 5.7 Input/Output and File System Software

We looked briefly at the standard features of modern operating systems: processes, memory management, input/output, and files (see Section 2.2.2). Here is how the operating system provides the last two:

• ■   The operating system provides a simple and uniform way for programs to use I/O devices or files.

• ■   When a program performs an operation on a file, the file system software transforms it into simple, standard I/O operations performed directly on the hard drive or other storage volume.

• ■   The I/O system converts these standard operations into the specific actions required by individual I/O devices.

As systems have evolved in complexity, I/O has likewise evolved. Originally, systems focused ...