Editing Solaris 10 System Administration Part I (section)

=== File components ===

Generally a file name is associated with an inode & an inode provides access to data blocks.

<insert figure of relationship>

==== file names ====

File names are objects frequently used to manage files. A file must have a name that is associated with an inode.

==== inodes ====

Inodes are objects that Solaris OS uses to maintain info about a file. In general an inode contains:
# file info = file owner, permissions, & size
# pointers to data blocks associated with file content

inodes are numbered & each file system contains its own inode list

At UFS creation a new inode list is created

==== data blocks ====

data blocks are units of disk space that store data

Regular files, directories, & symbolic links make use of data blocks

Device files do not hold data therefore do not use data blocks

'''ZFS uses the following data structures:'''
dnode data structure: the data structure contains pointers to data blocks
znode data structure: this data structure contains info about file (owner, permissions, & size)

Dnode & znode data structures are called metadata & stored dynamically by ZFS. ZFS implements ZFS POSIX layer (ZPL) which is a primary interface for ZFS. ZPL allows commands you use with UFS to work with ZFS. ZFS emulates UFS inode number mechanism