Guru's Guide to SQL Server Architecture and Internals, The

I/O Basics

We'll begin our exploration of Windows I/O with the basics. We'll talk about key I/O terms and concepts, then delve into how Windows I/O works from an architectural standpoint.

Key I/O Terms and Concepts

✓ File system— the overall structure in which files are named, stored, and organized in an operating system. File systems consist of drives, files, directories, and the metadata needed to locate and access them. A file system is not only the logical representation of the machine's secondary storage but also the part of the operating system responsible for translating application file operation requests into low-level, sector-oriented calls into the device drivers that control the disk drives.

A file system's format defines the way ...