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File Systems

GATE CSE 2014 Set 2 · Q20

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A FAT (file allocation table) based file system is being used and the total overhead of each entry in the FAT is 4 bytes in size. Given a 100×106100 \times 10^6 bytes disk on which the file system is stored and data block size is 10310^3 bytes, the maximum size of a file that can be stored on this disk in units of 10610^6 bytes is _______.

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Official answer: 99.6 (±0.05) (±0.05)

File Systems
  1. Total number of disk blocks:

    Number of blocks=Total disk sizeBlock size=100×106 bytes103 bytes=105 blocks\text{Number of blocks} = \frac{\text{Total disk size}}{\text{Block size}} = \frac{100 \times 10^6\text{ bytes}}{10^3\text{ bytes}} = 10^5\text{ blocks}
  2. Total size of FAT: Since there is one entry per disk block in the File Allocation Table:

    FAT size=105×4 bytes=4×105 bytes=0.4×106 bytes\text{FAT size} = 10^5 \times 4\text{ bytes} = 4 \times 10^5\text{ bytes} = 0.4 \times 10^6\text{ bytes}
  3. Maximum space available for data (file storage):

    Available data space=Disk size−FAT size\text{Available data space} = \text{Disk size} - \text{FAT size}
    Available data space=100×106−0.4×106=99.6×106 bytes\text{Available data space} = 100 \times 10^6 - 0.4 \times 10^6 = 99.6 \times 10^6\text{ bytes}

In units of 10610^6 bytes, the maximum size is 99.6.

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This File Systems previous year question is Q20 of the GATE CSE 2014 Set 2 paper. Find more GATE CSE PYQs on File Systems in Operating Systems, or browse all GATE CSE PYQs.

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File Systems in GATE CSE

File Systems has 14 GATE CSE PYQs across 14 papers from 2011 to 2026. 2 of them are 1-mark NAT questions like this one, and it is the only one in GATE CSE 2014 Set 2.

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GateAI solution cardGATE CSE 2014 Set 2 · Q20 · NAT

A FAT (file allocation table) based file system is being used and the total overhead of each entry in the FAT is 4 bytes in size. Given a 100 × 106 bytes disk on which the file system is stored and data block size is 103 bytes, the maximum size of a file that can be stored on this disk in units of 106 bytes is …

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