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sg_write_long (1m)

Name

sg_write_long - send the SCSI WRITE LONG command

Synopsis

sg_write_long    [--16]   [--cor_dis]   [--help]   [--in=IF]
[--lba=LBA] [--pblock] [--verbose] [--version]  [--wr_uncor]
[--xfer_len=BTL] DEVICE

Description




SG3_UTILS                                        SG_WRITE_LONG(8)



NAME
     sg_write_long - send the SCSI WRITE LONG command

SYNOPSIS
     sg_write_long    [--16]   [--cor_dis]   [--help]   [--in=IF]
     [--lba=LBA] [--pblock] [--verbose] [--version]  [--wr_uncor]
     [--xfer_len=BTL] DEVICE

DESCRIPTION
     Send  the SCSI WRITE LONG (10 or 16 byte) command to DEVICE.
     The buffer to be written to the DEVICE is filled  with  0xff
     bytes  or  read  from  the IF file. This buffer includes the
     logical data (e.g. 512 bytes) and the ECC bytes.

     This utility can be used to generate a  MEDIUM  ERROR  at  a
     specific logical block address. This can be useful for test-
     ing error handling. Prior to such a test, the sg_dd  utility
     could  be  used to copy the original contents of the logical
     block address to some safe  location.  After  the  test  the
     sg_dd  utility could be used to write back the original con-
     tents of the logical block address.  An  alternate  strategy
     would  be  to  read the "long" contents of the logical block
     address with  sg_read_long  utility  prior  to  testing  and
     restore it with this utility after testing.

     Take  care:  If  recoverable errors are being injected (e.g.
     only one or a few bits changed so that the ECC  is  able  to
     correct  the  data)  then care should be taken with the set-
     tings in the "read write error recovery" mode page.  Specif-
     ically  if the ARRE (for reads) and/or AWRE (for writes) are
     set then recovered errors will cause the  lba  to  be  reas-
     signed (and the old location to be added to the grown defect
     list (PLIST)). This is not easily reversed and uses (one  of
     the  finite  number of) the spare sectors set aside for this
     purpose. If in doubt it is probably safest to clear the ARRE
     and  AWRE  bits. These bits can be checked and modified with
     the sdparm  utility.   For  example:  "sdparm  -c  AWRE,ARRE
     /dev/sda"  will  clear  the  bits  until  the  disk is power
     cycled.

OPTIONS
     Arguments to long options are mandatory for short options as
     well.

     -S, --16
          send  a  SCSI  WRITE  LONG  (16) command to DEVICE. The
          default action (in the absence of this  option)  is  to
          send a SCSI WRITE LONG (10) command.

     -c, --cor_dis
          sets  the correction disabled (i.e 'COR_DIS') bit. This
          inhibits various other  mechanisms  such  as  automatic



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SG3_UTILS                                        SG_WRITE_LONG(8)



          block reallocation, error recovery and various informa-
          tional exception conditions being triggered.  This  bit
          is relatively new in SBC-3 .

     -h, --help
          output the usage message then exit.

     -i, --in=IF
          read  data  (binary)  from file named IF and use it for
          the SCSI WRITE LONG command. If IF is "-" then stdin is
          read.  If  this option is not given then 0xff bytes are
          used as fill.

     -l, --lba=LBA
          where LBA is the logical block address of the sector to
          overwrite.   Defaults  to  lba  0  which is a dangerous
          block to overwrite on a disk that is in use. Assumed to
          be in decimal unless prefixed with '0x' or has a trail-
          ing 'h'. If LBA is larger than can fit in 32 bits  then
          the --16 option should be used.

     -p, --pblock
          sets  the  physical  block  (i.e  'PBLOCK')  bit.  This
          instructs  DEVICE  to  use  the  given   data   (unless
          --wr_uncor  is  also  given)  to  write to the physical
          block specified by LBA. The default action is to  write
          to  the  logical  block corresponding to the given lba.
          This bit is relatively new in SBC-3 .

     -v, --verbose
          increase the degree of verbosity (debug messages).

     -V, --version
          output version string then exit.

     -w, --wr_uncor
          sets the "write uncorrected" (i.e 'WR_UNCOR') bit. This
          instructs  the  DEVICE  to  flag  the given lba (or the
          physical block that contains it  if  --pblock  is  also
          given) as having an unrecoverable error associated with
          it. Note: no data is transferred to DEVICE, other  than
          the  command  (i.e.  the  cdb).  In the absence of this
          option, the default action is to use the provided  data
          or  0xff  bytes (--xfer_len=BTL in length) and write it
          to DEVICE.  This bit is relatively new in SBC-3 .

     -x, --xfer_len=BTL
          where BTL is the byte transfer length (default to 520).
          If  the given value (or the default) does not match the
          "long" block size of the device, nothing is written  to
          DEVICE  and  the  appropriate  xfer_len  value  may  be
          deduced from the error response which  is  printed  (to



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SG3_UTILS                                        SG_WRITE_LONG(8)



          stderr).


ATTRIBUTES
     See   attributes(5)   for   descriptions  of  the  following
     attributes:

     +---------------+--------------------------+
     |ATTRIBUTE TYPE |     ATTRIBUTE VALUE      |
     +---------------+--------------------------+
     |Availability   | system/storage/sg3_utils |
     +---------------+--------------------------+
     |Stability      | Uncommitted              |
     +---------------+--------------------------+
NOTES
     Various numeric arguments (e.g. LBA) may include multiplica-
     tive  suffixes  or be given in hexadecimal. See the "NUMERIC
     ARGUMENTS" section in the sg3_utils(8) man page.

     The 10 byte SCSI WRITE LONG command limits the logical block
     address  to  a 32 bit quantity. For larger LBAs use the --16
     option for the SCSI WRITE LONG (16) command.

EXAMPLES
     This section outlines setting  up  a  block  with  corrupted
     data,  checking  the  error condition, then restoring useful
     contents to that sector.

     First, if the data in a sector is important,  save  it  with
     the sg_read_long utility:

       sg_read_long   --lba=0x1234   --out=0x1234_1.img   -x  BTL
     /dev/sda

     This utility may need to be executed several time  in  order
     to  determine  what  the correct value for BTL is.  Next use
     this utility to "corrupt" that sector. That  might  be  done
     with:

       sg_write_long --lba=0x1234 -x BTL /dev/sda

     This  will write a sector (and ECC data) of 0xff bytes. Some
     disks may reject this (at least one of the  author's  does).
     Another  approach  is  to  copy  the  0x1234_1.img  file (to
     0x1234_2.img in this example) and change some values with  a
     hex editor. Then write the changed image with:

       sg_write_long   --lba=0x1234   --in=0x1234_2.img   -x  BTL
     /dev/sda

     Yet another approach is to use  the  --wr_uncor  option,  if
     supported:



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SG3_UTILS                                        SG_WRITE_LONG(8)



       sg_write_long --lba=0x1234 --wr_uncor /dev/sda

     Next  we  use  the sg_dd utility to check that the sector is
     corrupted. Here is an example:

       sg_dd  if=/dev/sda  blk_sgio=1  skip=0x1234  of=.   bs=512
     count=1 verbose=4

     Notice  that  the  "blk_sgio=1"  option is given. This is to
     make sure that the sector is read (and no  others)  and  the
     error is fully reported.  The "blk_sgio=1" option causes the
     SG_IO ioctl to be used by sg_dd rather than the  block  sub-
     system.

     Finally  we  should restore sector 0x1234 to a non-corrupted
     state. A sector full of zeroes could be written with:

       sg_dd  if=/dev/zero  of=/dev/sda  blk_sgio=1   seek=0x1234
     bs=512 count=1

     This  will  result in a sector (block) with 512 bytes of 0x0
     without a MEDIUM ERROR since the  ECC  and  associated  data
     will  be  regenerated and thus well formed. The 'blk_sgio=1'
     option is even more important in this case as  it  may  stop
     the  block  subsystem  doing  a read before write (since the
     read will most likely fail).  Another approach is  to  write
     back the original contents:

       sg_write_long   --lba=0x1234   --in=0x1234_1.img   -x  BTL
     /dev/sda

EXIT STATUS
     The exit status of sg_write_long is 0 when it is successful.
     Otherwise see the sg3_utils(8) man page.

AUTHORS
     Written by Saeed Bishara. Further work by Douglas Gilbert.

REPORTING BUGS
     Report bugs to <dgilbert at interlog dot com>.

COPYRIGHT
     Copyright (C) 2004-2009 Douglas Gilbert
     This  software is distributed under the GPL version 2. There
     is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS  FOR
     A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

SEE ALSO
     sg_read_long, sg_dd (both in sg3_utils), sdparm(sdparm)


     This   software   was   built   from   source  available  at



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SG3_UTILS                                        SG_WRITE_LONG(8)



     https://java.net/projects/solaris-userland.   The   original
     community       source       was       downloaded       from
     http://sg.danny.cz/sg/p/sg3_utils-1.33.tgz

     Further information about this software can be found on  the
     open        source        community        website        at
     http://sg.danny.cz/sg/sg3_utils.html.
















































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