Distributed File System
A Distributed File System (DFS) is a file system that allows access to files from multiple hosts across a network, making them appear as if they are stored locally. It manages data storage across multiple servers or nodes, providing features like data replication, fault tolerance, and scalability. Examples include Hadoop HDFS, Google File System (GFS), and Amazon S3.
Developers should learn about Distributed File Systems when building applications that require handling large volumes of data, high availability, or global accessibility, such as big data analytics, cloud storage services, or content delivery networks. It is essential for systems where data needs to be distributed across multiple locations to improve performance, reliability, and disaster recovery.