If you have ever saved a file on your PC, Mac or laptop, you have already experienced file storage (or file-level storage). Files are stored as a whole in a selected location on the hard disk. There are two points that make this method appealing – whether on your home PC or on corporate servers:
- Files: All data is stored as complete files.
- Hierarchy: Files are located in a folder structure and are accessed through a path.
In contrast to block storage, a system with file storage does not take the data of a file apart. The file is stored as a whole and called up again in this form. The hierarchy results from the multi-level directory system: Files are stored in folders, which in turn can be located in other folders – and usually are. This sometimes results in long directory paths that must be known to the computer system or a server. These paths are used for navigation, so that the files can be accessed again. The information is stored in the form of metadata.
File-level storage, other than that on built-in hard disks, is mainly used in two different variants:
- Network Attached Storage (NAS): An autonomous storage system connected to a network and available to all participants of the network.
- Direct Attached Storage (DAS): A storage system directly connected to a computer in the form of an external hard disk.
Different protocols can also be used for communication between the storage and computer:
- Server Message Block (SMB) for Windows systems
- Network File System (NFS) for Unix and Linux systems
