This document compares the Google File System (GFS) and the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). It discusses their motivations, architectures, performance measurements, and role in larger systems. GFS was designed for Google's data processing needs, while HDFS was created as an open-source framework for Hadoop applications. Both divide files into blocks and replicate data across multiple servers for reliability. The document provides details on their file structures, data flow models, consistency approaches, and benchmark results. It also explores how systems like MapReduce/Hadoop utilize these underlying storage systems.