Osoitteluettelo

Osoitteluettelo, which translates to "address list" or "directory listing" in English, is a concept related to how files and directories are organized and accessed on a computer system. In essence, it is a data structure that maps names to locations. When a user or a program requests a file, the operating system consults an osoitteluettelo to find the exact physical or logical location of that file on the storage device.

This listing contains information such as file names, their sizes, creation and modification dates, permissions, and crucially, pointers to where the actual file data is stored. These pointers can be physical addresses on a hard drive or logical addresses within a file system. The structure of the osoitteluettelo is critical for efficient file retrieval. Different file systems employ various methods for managing their osoitteluettelo, impacting performance and data integrity. For instance, some might use tree-like structures, while others might employ hash tables.

When a file is created, modified, or deleted, the osoitteluettelo is updated accordingly. This ensures that the file system remains consistent and that all references to files are accurate. A corrupted or incomplete osoitteluettelo can lead to data loss or make files inaccessible. Therefore, file system maintenance tools often focus on checking and repairing the integrity of the osoitteluettelo. Understanding the osoitteluettelo is fundamental to grasping how operating systems manage storage and provide access to user data.