In SCO OpenServer UNIX distribution, inode is a file system data structure that is used to store basic information about the files, directories and file system objects.
When the file system is first created, the data structures are also created that holds information about the files. every file is related with an inode, which is recognized by a unique inode number (generally known as an “inode” or “i-number”) in file system wherever it is stored.
Inode stores information about files such as access mode (like read, write and execute), user or group ownership and type of file. one several file system types, number of inodes is fixed when the file system is created that limits the maximum number of file that the file system can store.
Inode number lists a table of inodes in the known location on hard drive, from inode number; operating system kernel could access the contents of inode, such as data pointers. You can find the inode number of a file by using –i command.
The inode number of file remains intact when it is moved to another directory on same drive or when hard drive is de-fragmented. Thus, moving the directory entry of file or its data isn’t enough to prevent access of file.
For operating system to access a file, it is essential to have complete inode information. If the inode is corrupted, may be due to software malfunction, virus attack or similar reasons, the file can not be accessed and thus data loss occurs.
In such circumstances, to recover your lost data, SCO OpenServer Recovery is required. A safe, easy and automated SCO Data Recovery can be performed using Stellar Phoenix (SCO OpenServer) Data Recovery software. |
Inode Structure