linux icmp: Why socket and inode are allocated?

["Sameer" <sameer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

hi,
I am currently studying linux ICMP implementation
In that i find there a socket and inode data structures being initialized..
later in the icmp_init function it is said that we do not wish this socket
to see the incoming packets..
So why a socket and an inode structures are used for icmp?

Thanks and Regards,

$@M££R!
Sameer Kelkar.
D-Link (India) Ltd.
Bangalore
India.