According to webopedia it is when a processor both reads and writes to the bus...excluding other processors from accessing it.
In databases, it means that a set of operations either all occur or none do, according to wikipedia
In concurrent programming, it means that a set of operations occur instantaneously as seen by the system wikipedia
However I need to know what atomicity refers to in in the context of file systems, particularly Google File System.
Seems to be an over-used word which people use b.c. it sounds cool..but is there a more academic definition in regards to file systems?
It seems atomic refers to not breaking something up i.e. the atom...in a general case. I keep hearing the term atomic reads and atomic writes being used for the Google File System.
My guess would mean that it happens completely or not at all and in one "step". Referring to the unity of time (appears instantaneous) and composition (all parts are completed).
Does this sound correct?
That's right. It is the basic property that even though some operation may consist of a smaller set of steps, you can never observe it in a state where some but not all of those steps have taken place.