FORMAT.DAT(5) | File Formats and Configurations | FORMAT.DAT(5) |
format.dat - disk drive configuration for the format command
format.dat enables you to use your specific disk drives with format(8). On Solaris 2.3 and compatible systems, format will automatically configure and label SCSI drives, so that they need not be defined in format.dat. Three things can be defined in the data file:
The following syntax rules apply to the data file:
The data file contains disk definitions that are read in by format(8) when it starts up. Each definition starts with one of the following keywords: search_path, disk_type, and partition.
search_path
5.x: By default, format(8) understands all the logical devices that are of the form /dev/rdsk/cntndnsn; hence search_path is not normally defined on a 5.x system.
disk_type
The following controller types are supported by format(8):
XY450
XD7053
SCSI
ISP-80
The keyword itself is assigned the name of the disk type. This name appears in the disk's label and is used to identify the disk type whenever format(8) is run. Enclose the name in double quotes to preserve any white space in the name.
Below are lists of identifiers for supported controllers. Note that an asterisk ('*') indicates the identifier is mandatory for that controller -- it is not part of the keyword name.
The following identifiers are assigned values in all disk_type definitions:
acyl*
asect
atrks
fmt_time
ncyl*
nhead*
nsect*
pcyl*
phead
psect
rpm*
These identifiers are for SCSI and MD-21 Controllers
read_retries
write_retries
cyl_skew
trk_skew
trks_zone
cache
prefetch
max_prefetch
min_prefetch
Note: The Page 38 values are device-specific. Refer the user to the particular disk's manual for these values.
For SCSI disks, the following geometry specifiers may cause a mode select on the byte(s) indicated:
asect
atrks
phead
psect
And these identifiers are for SMD Controllers Only
bps*
bpt*
Note: under SunOS 5.x, bpt is only required for SMD disks. Under SunOS 4.x, bpt was required for all disk types, even though it was only used for SMD disks.
And this identifier is for XY450 SMD Controllers Only
drive_type*
partition
Partition naming conventions differ in SunOS 4.x and in SunOS 5.x.
4.x: the partitions are named as a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h.
5.x: the partitions are referred to by numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Example 1 A sample disk_type and partition.
Following is a sample disk_type and partition definition in format.dat file for SUN0535 disk device.
disk_type = "SUN0535" \ : ctlr = SCSI : fmt_time = 4 \ : ncyl = 1866 : acyl = 2 : pcyl = 2500 : nhead = 7 : nsect = 80 \ : rpm = 5400 partition = "SUN0535" \ : disk = "SUN0535" : ctlr = SCSI \
: 0 = 0, 64400 : 1 = 115, 103600 : 2 = 0, 1044960 : 6 = 300, 876960
/etc/format.dat
System Administration Guide: Basic Administration
April 19, 2001 | OmniOS |