NTFS, Ext2, and FAT Filesystem Structure Analysis

Filesystem Area Roles

NTFS Filesystem Areas

This section lists and discusses the role of areas of the NTFS file system:

1. Partition Boot Sector: Occupies several sectors. It contains the provision for the volume and file system structure, the location of the MFT and MFT2, and the boot code.
2. MFT (Master File Table): Contains information on files, directories, and available space.
3. MTT (Master File Table Mirror): A list of all the contents of the NTFS volume, organized as a set of rows in a structured relational database.
4. Archiving System: Contains MFT2, which is a mirror copy of the first three rows of the MFT to ensure access to the MFT in case of a sector failure. It also contains the bitmap (represented by the volume) showing which blocks are in use and which are not.
5. Area File: The area where data for files and directories is stored.

Ext2 Filesystem Areas

This section lists and discusses the role of areas of the Ext2 filesystem:

The Ext2 disk is divided into smaller logical units called blocks. A number of sequential blocks are grouped together, creating a group called a BG (Block Group). Each BG contains:

• A copy of the superblock, which contains information on the structure of the filesystem.
• Filesystem descriptors: Contains the addresses of blocks that hold crucial information, such as bitmap blocks and the inode table.
• A block bitmap: Contains a table of bits indicating which blocks are empty or occupied.
• An i-node bitmap: Contains a table of inodes for the file system.
• Data Blocks: Where data for files and directories is stored.

FAT Filesystem Areas

This section lists and discusses the role of areas of the FAT filesystem:

1. Sector Boot: The first sector of the volume. It contains information on the size and structure of files and information required to boot MS-DOS.
2. Primera FAT (First FAT): Contains a table corresponding to each cluster of the disk. Each entry corresponds to a number of logically adjacent areas in the volume. (We represent all cluster file system states, indicating which are free or occupied.)
3. Second FAT Copy: One or more copies of the FAT, serving as a backup if the primary system fails.
4. Directorio Root (ROOT): Composed of 32-byte entries. It holds all information about files and subdirectories. (It is, in turn, a table where file data, extension, attributes, date, size, and the starting cluster are stored. Each file uses 32 bytes.)
5. Zona data (Data Area): Used to store files and subdirectories. For each cluster in this area, there is an entry in the FAT.