How are INODE allocated?

Inodes are allocated in a filesystem when a new file or directory is created. The filesystem maintains a fixed number of inodes, which are typically allocated from a pool during the creation process. When a file is created, the filesystem searches for a free inode, marks it as used, and associates it with the file's metadata, such as its size, owner, and permissions. If the inode table is full, no new files can be created until existing files are deleted or the inode table is expanded.