OS provides uniform, logical view of information storage Abstracts physical properties to logical storage unit - file Each medium is controlled by device (i.e., disk drive, tape drive) Varying properties include access speed, capacity, data- transfer rate, access method (sequential or random) File-System management Files usually organized into directories Access control on most systems to determine who can access what OS activities include Creating and deleting files and directories Primitives to manipulate files and directories Mapping files onto secondary storage Backup files onto stable (non-volatile) storage media