The Google File System (GFS) is a distributed file system designed to manage large amounts of data across many machines. It allows multiple users to access and store data efficiently, ensuring high availability and reliability. GFS is optimized for large files and is particularly useful for applications that require high throughput, such as data processing and analysis. GFS is built to handle hardware failures gracefully, automatically replicating data across different servers to prevent loss. This design supports the needs of Google's applications, enabling them to scale and perform well even as data volumes grow significantly.