Chapter 8 Key Terms

Question 1

a file’s name, as given by the user, preceded by the directory (or
directories) where the file is found and, when necessary, the specific device label.

Answer 1

absolute filename

Question 2

an access control method that lists each file, the names of the users
who are allowed to access it, and the type of access each is permitted

Answer 2

access control list

Question 3

an access control method that uses a matrix with every file,
every user, and the type of access each user is permitted on each file.

Answer 3

access control matrix

Question 4

an access control method that lists every user, the files to which each
has access, and the type of access allowed to those files

Answer 4

capability list

Question 5

a type of file storage in which all the information is stored in adjacent locations in a storage medium.

Answer 5

contiguous storage

Question 6

the address of the last byte read. It is used by the File Manager to access records in secondary storage and must be updated every time a record is accessed

Answer 6

current byte address (CBA)

Question 7

the directory or subdirectory in which the user is working

Answer 7

current directory

Question 8

a procedure used to reduce the amount of space required to store
data by reducing, encoding, or abbreviating repetitive terms or characters.

Answer 8

data compression

Question 9

a group of related files that are interconnected at various levels to give users
flexibility of access to the data stored.

Answer 9

database

Question 10

files stored in a direct access storage device and organized
to give users the flexibility of accessing any record at random, regardless of its posi
tion in the file.

Answer 10

direct record organization

Question 11

a storage area in a secondary storage volume (disk, disk pack, etc.) containing information about files stored in that volume.

Answer 11

directory

Question 12

in some operating systems, it’s the part of the filename that indicates which compiler or software package is needed to run the files. In UNIX and Linux, it is optional and called a suffix.

Answer 12

extension

Question 13

any remaining records and all other additions to the file that are stored in
other sections of the disk.

Answer 13

extents

Question 14

a group of related bytes that can be identified by the user with a name, type, and
size. A record is made up of fields

Answer 14

field

Question 15

a group of related records that contains information to be used by specific application programs to generate reports.

Answer 15

file

Question 16

information kept in the directory to describe a file or file extent.

Answer 16

file descriptor

Question 17

a record that always contains the same number of characters.

Answer 17

fixed-length record

Question 18

the set of instructions used to perform a key-to-address transformation in which a record’s key field determines its location.

Answer 18

hashing algorithm

Question 19

a way of organizing data in a direct access storage device. An index is created to show where the data records are stored. Any data record can be retrieved by consulting the index first.

Answer 19

indexed sequential record organization

Question 20

(1) a unique field or combination of fields in a record that uniquely identifies that record; or (2) the field that determines the position of a record in a sorted sequence

Answer 20

key field

Question 20

the result of a key-to-address transformation.

Answer 20

logical address

Question 21

a file stored immediately after the volume descriptor. It lists the names and characteristics of every file contained in that volume.

Answer 21

master file directory (MFD)

Question 22

a type of file storage in which the information is stored in non
adjacent locations in a storage medium.

Answer 22

noncontiguous storage

Question 23

the sequence of directories and subdirectories the operating system must follow to find a specific file.

Answer 23

path

Question 24

a file that contains instructions for the computer.

Answer 24

program file

Question 25

a group of related fields treated as a unit. A file is a group of related records.

Answer 25

record

Question 26

in a direct organization environment, it indicates the position of a record relative to the beginning of the file.

Answer 26

relative address

Question 27

a file’s name and extension that differentiates it from other files in the same directory.

Answer 27

relative filename

Question 28

the organization of records in a specific sequence. Records in a sequential file must be processed one after another.

Answer 28

sequential record organization

Question 29

a directory created by the user within the boundaries of an existing directory. Some operating systems call this a folder.

Answer 29

subdirectory

Question 29

a record that isn’t of uniform length, doesn’t leave empty storage space, and doesn’t truncate any character

Answer 29

variable-length record

Question 29

any secondary storage unit, such as hard disks, disk packs, CDs, DVDs, removable disks, flash memory, or tapes.

Answer 29

volume

Question 30

the directory or subdirectory in which the user is currently working

Answer 30

working directory