module-info - Needed or not?

[hotFusion]

In my default install of YDL 2.3, there is a file called 
module-info-2.4.19-4a (which corresponds to the stock kernel).  I 
recently attempted to build a new kernel from source but when compling 
was finished, there was no new module-info file.  I searched through the 
mailing lists and found no concrete answer as to wether module-info is 
needed or even what it does?  If I may ask, what exactly is the 
module-info file, what does it do, and is it required?  TIA.