A method of providing file data from a file system comprising a data store and a file record database. The method comprises the steps of receiving a request to open a file in the file system and determining the desired properties of the file using the syntax of the request. A file record is then created in the file record database based on the determined properties of the file, and a file handle for the file record is returned. Data constituting the requested file from data in the data store is generated based on the determined properties of the file, and in response to a request to read a portion of data from the file, a corresponding portion of the generated data is returned.