What is a database file system?

Question

I have a very little idea about what database file system is.

Can somebody out here explain to me what actually a database file system is, and what its applications are?

Answer 1

Typical file systems (*nix, ms-dos, etc) organize files hierarchically. For example,

c:\ represents the top of a hierarchy c:\foo is the next level in the hierarchy c:\foo\bar is a sub-node of \foo etc..

Each file exists in one and only one location in this hierarchy.

By contrast, a database file system organizes files by metadata attributes. For example, topic, type, author, etc.. Rather than existing in one particular place in a hierarchy, the file exists in multiple "places" depending on its attributes.

The last question you ask is unanswerable.