What Is Superblock?

There's much stuff in the world that you don't need to understand. Like, you know, the superblock. Who needs to understand what a superblock is? It's just a metadata collection showing file systems' properties in some operating systems. It helps you describe a file system along with inode, entry and file. Why would you want to know that? Well, probably because you're an operating system developer and if that's the case, then good on you! You're making something extraordinary right now (which probably has nothing to do with me). The superblock is the heart of a file system. One of the most critical roles of the file system is ensuring that the information is kept in order. It has to make sure that the data is saved correctly. This is especially true in a networked environment with multiple clients accessing the same file system. It also keeps track of who is using the files so that the file system can tell and deny access if somebody tries to open a file they are not allowed to view. The file system also keeps track of what information is stored and where it can be quickly and easily found and accessed when needed. Finally, a file system also keeps track of permissions so that only people with the proper authority can access specific files. The superblock is like the brain of a computer: it controls where things are stored and how to access them. The superblock records the size of blocks on a disk (the smallest unit of storage), other block specifics, and the dimensions of each block group (a set of blocks that are part of one larger unit). The superblock also contains information about where inodes (another data structure) are located. Inodes store file metadata about what a file is called and what data it has that's not displayed in directory listings or when viewing files directly on disk.