Which data structure in many file systems contains file and directory metadata and links to data blocks?

Which data structure in many file systems contains file and directory metadata and links to data blocks?

• A. Superblock
• B. File Allocation Table
• C. Metadata Descriptor
• D. Inodes

Answer: (D)

Inodes hold per-file metadata and pointers to the data blocks that store the file’s actual contents. They act as an on-disk record for each file or directory, storing attributes such as permissions, owner, size, timestamps, and link count, along with addresses that point to where the file’s data blocks are located. These pointers can include direct addresses to data blocks and additional indirect addresses to access more blocks for larger files, enabling efficient data retrieval without needing the metadata to store the data itself. Directories are represented by inodes just like files, and they contain entries that map names to the corresponding inodes. Superblock contains filesystem-wide information like total inodes, total blocks, block size, and free space, not per-file metadata. File Allocation Table (FAT) is used in FAT file systems to map clusters belonging to a file, serving as a chain of data blocks rather than storing per-file metadata. Metadata Descriptor isn’t a standard structure used to describe file metadata in common file systems.

Inodes hold per-file metadata and pointers to the data blocks that store the file’s actual contents. They act as an on-disk record for each file or directory, storing attributes such as permissions, owner, size, timestamps, and link count, along with addresses that point to where the file’s data blocks are located. These pointers can include direct addresses to data blocks and additional indirect addresses to access more blocks for larger files, enabling efficient data retrieval without needing the metadata to store the data itself. Directories are represented by inodes just like files, and they contain entries that map names to the corresponding inodes.

Superblock contains filesystem-wide information like total inodes, total blocks, block size, and free space, not per-file metadata. File Allocation Table (FAT) is used in FAT file systems to map clusters belonging to a file, serving as a chain of data blocks rather than storing per-file metadata. Metadata Descriptor isn’t a standard structure used to describe file metadata in common file systems.