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What happens to hard link when file is deleted?
A hard link will never point to a deleted file. A hard link is like a pointer to the actual file data. And the pointer is called “inode” in file system terminology. So, in other words, creating a hard link is creating another inode or a pointer to a file.
What is the use of hard link?
In computing, a hard link is a directory entry that associates a name with a file in a file system. All directory-based file systems must have at least one hard link giving the original name for each file. The term “hard link” is usually only used in file systems that allow more than one hard link for the same file.
Can a hard link be used on a directory?
Hard links on directories are not supported as it would lead to inconsistencies in parent directory entries. Although a hard link is essentially a mirrored copy of the target file that it is pointing to, no additional hard drive space is required to store the hard link file.
How to create a hard link in Win32?
Hard Links. A hard link is the file system representation of a file by which more than one path references a single file in the same volume. To create a hard link, use the CreateHardLink function.
What are the different types of hard links?
1 Hard Links. A hard link is a file that represents another file on the same volume without duplicating the data of that file. 2 Junctions. Sometimes referred to as soft links, the function of a junction is to reference a target directory, unlike a hard link which points to a file. 3 Symbolic Links.
How much space is needed for a hard link?
Although a hard link is essentially a mirrored copy of the target file that it is pointing to, no additional hard drive space is required to store the hard link file. If a 1GB file is mirrored by 3 hard links, the total space used on the partition will only be 1GB instead of 4GB.