NAME

scsiformat − format the IBM 9332 disk unit

SYNOPSIS

scsiformat device level [ interleave ]

DESCRIPTION

The scsiformat program writes formatting information on the IBM 9332 disk units specified by device .  Device must be a raw device (/dev/rscsi??) for one of the partitions of the disk you wish to format.  The whole disk unit is formatted, regardless of the partition specified. 

Level is an integer between 1 and 3 inclusive specifying how the disk is to be formatted:

1Change the interleave factor only (don’t actually format the drive). 

2Use only the manufacturer’s defect table that came with the disk unit to format. 

3Use both the manufacturer’s defect table and the “grown” defect table (the defect table generated by the disk unit itself as it discovers bad blocks in its normal operation) to format. 

Interleave is the sector interleave factor to use.  This can be changed without actually formatting the disk.  Legal values for interleave are integers between 0 and 8 inclusive.  An interleave of 0 specifies the default interleave value set in the drive at the time it was shipped.  If interleave is not specified, an interleave of 0 is assumed. 

Scsiformat does not serve the same purpose as the hd formatter, since the drive will automatically start forwarding bad blocks it detects while running, without reformatting.  Scsiformat does not attempt to preserve data; using scsiformat will destroy any data currently on the disk.  Because of this, scsiformat will prompt you to verify the operation you specified in level. 

FILES

/dev/rscsi [0-13] [a-h ]

SEE ALSO

scsi(4)

BUGS

Use of the other scsi devices is suspended while scsiformat is running. 

PRPQs 5799-WZQ/5799-PFF: IBM/4.3  —  July 1987