Responsibilities of a File Manager

Prerequisite - Functions of Operating System 

The File Manager is a system software responsible for the creation, deletion, modification of the files and managing their access, security and the resources used by them. These functions are performed in collaboration with the Device Manager. 

The File Manager has big responsibilities in it's hands. It is in charge of the physical components of the computer system, information resources and the policies to store and distribute the files. It's responsibilities include :

1. Keeping track of each file. In the system, the File Manager keeps track of each file through directories that contain the file's name, location in secondary storage and other important information.
2. Using of the policies that determine where & how the files would be stored, in order to efficiently use the available storage and provide access to them. It has a set of predetermined policies that decides where and how the files would be stored and how the user will be able to gain access to them. Also, it must also determine who can access what material. This involves flexibility of access to information and it's protection. It is done by allowing the user the access to shared files and public directories. The operating system must also protect it's file from system malfunctions or tampering of files.
3. Allocating each file when the user is granted access to them, and recording their use. The File Manager allocates the files by activating the appropriate secondary storage device and loading the file into the main memory while also updating the records of who is using what file.
4. Deallocating the files when their use in finished and are not needed, and also communicating to others about it's availability which are waiting for it. It deallocates the file by updating the file tables and rewriting the updated file into the secondary storage, then communicating with other processes and notifying them about it's availability.
5. The File Manager may provide features for compressing files to reduce storage space usage and encrypting files to protect sensitive information. This ensures data integrity and confidentiality.
6. The File Manager may facilitate file backup operations to create copies of important files for disaster recovery purposes. It also assists in restoring files from backups in case of data loss or system failures.
7. The File Manager enables file sharing and collaboration among users. It allows multiple users to access and work on the same file simultaneously, providing mechanisms for synchronization and conflict resolution.
8. The File Manager enables file sharing and collaboration among users. It allows multiple users to access and work on the same file simultaneously, providing mechanisms for synchronization and conflict resolution.
9.  The File Manager is responsible for the maintenance and optimization of the file system. This includes tasks such as file system integrity checks, disk defragmentation, and managing file system quotas and permissions.
10.  The File Manager handles the management of file metadata, such as file attributes (e.g., size, creation date, modification date), permissions, ownership, and access control lists. It ensures the accurate and consistent representation of file metadata.