Format Menu and Command Descriptions
The format menu contents are
displayed as follows:
FORMAT MENU:
disk – select a disk
type – select (define) a disk type
partition – select (define) a partition table
current – describe the current disk
format – format and analyze the disk
fdisk – run the fdisk program (x86 only)
repair – repair a defective sector
label – write label to the disk
analyze – surface analysis
defect – defect list management
backup – search for backup labels
verify – read and display labels
save – save new disk/partition definitions
inquiry – show vendor, product and revision
volname – set 8−character volume name
!<cmd> – execute <cmd>, then return
quit
format>
The following table describes the main menu items for
the format utility.
Table 12 The Main Menu Item Descriptions for the format Utility
|
|
|
|
disk
|
Command
|
Lists all of the system's drives. Also lets you choose the disk
you want to use in subsequent operations. This disk is referred to
as the current disk.
|
|
type
|
Command
|
Identifies the manufacturer and model of the current disk. Also
displays a list of known drive types. Choose the Auto
configure option for all SCSI-2 disk drives.
|
|
partition
|
Menu
|
Creates and modifies slices. For more information, see partition Menu. |
|
current
|
Command
|
Displays the following information about the current disk:
-
Device name and device type
-
Number of cylinders, alternate cylinders, heads and
sectors
-
Physical device name
|
|
format
|
Command
|
Formats the current disk by using one of these sources of
information in this order:
-
Information that is found in the
format.dat file
-
Information from the automatic configuration
process
-
Information that you type at the prompt if no
format.dat entry exists
This command does not apply to IDE disks. IDE disks are
preformatted by the manufacturer.
|
|
fdisk
|
Menu
|
x86 platform only: Runs the fdisk program to
create a Solaris fdisk partition.
The fdisk command cannot be used on disks with
an EFI label that are greater than 1 terabyte in size.
|
|
repair
|
Command
|
Repairs a specific block on the current disk.
|
|
label
|
Command
|
Writes a new label to the current disk.
|
|
analyze
|
Menu
|
Runs read, write, and compare tests. For more information, see
analyze Menu. |
|
defect
|
Menu
|
Retrieves and displays defect lists. For more information, see
defect Menu. This
feature does not apply to IDE disks. IDE disks manage defects
automatically. |
|
backup
|
Command
|
VTOC – Searches for
backup labels.
EFI – Not
supported.
|
|
verify
|
Command
|
Displays the following information about the current disk:
-
Device name and device type
-
Number of cylinders, alternate cylinders, heads and
sectors
-
Partition table
|
|
save
|
Command
|
VTOC – Saves new disk and
partition information.
EFI – Not
applicable.
|
|
inquiry
|
Command
|
SCSI disks only –
Displays the vendor, product name, and revision level of the current
drive.
|
|
volname
|
Command
|
Labels the disk with a new eight-character volume name that you
specify.
|
|
quit
|
Command
|
Exits the Format menu.
|
|
partition Menu
The partition menu contents are displayed as follows:
format> partition
PARTITION MENU:
0 - change `0' partition
1 - change `1' partition
2 - change `2' partition
3 - change `3' partition
4 - change `4' partition
5 - change `5' partition
6 - change `6' partition
7 - change `7' partition
select - select a predefined table
modify - modify a predefined partition table
name - name the current table
print - display the current table
label - write partition map and label to the disk
quit
partition>
The following table describes the partition menu items.
Table 13 Descriptions for partition Menu Items
|
|
|
change `
n
' partition
|
Enables you to specify the following information for the new
partition:
-
Identification tag
-
Permission flags
-
Starting cylinder
-
Size
|
|
select
|
Enables you to choose a predefined partition table.
|
|
modify
|
Enables you to change all the slices in the partition table.
This command is preferred over the individual
change `x'
partition commands.
|
|
name
|
Enables you to specify a name for the current partition
table.
|
|
print
|
Displays the current partition table.
|
|
label
|
Writes the partition map and the label to the current
disk.
|
|
quit
|
Exits the partition menu. |
|
x86: fdisk Menu
The fdisk menu is available on x86 based systems only and
appears similar to the following.
format> fdisk
Total disk size is 8924 cylinders
Cylinder size is 16065 (512 byte) blocks
Cylinders
Partition Status Type Start End Length %
========= ====== ============ ===== === ====== ===
1 EFI 0 8924 8925 100
SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
1. Create a partition
2. Specify the active partition
3. Delete a partition
4. Change between Solaris and Solaris2 Partition IDs
5. Edit/View extended partitions
6. Exit (update disk configuration and exit)
7. Cancel (exit without updating disk configuration)
Enter Selection:
The following table describes the fdisk menu items.
Table 14 x86: Descriptions for fdisk Menu Items
|
|
|
Create a partition
|
Creates an fdisk partition. You must create
a separate partition for each OS such as Oracle Solaris or DOS.
There is a maximum of four partitions per disk. You are prompted
for the size of the fdisk partition as a
percentage of the disk.
|
|
Specify the active partition
|
Enables you to specify the partition to be used for booting.
This menu item identifies where the first stage boot program
looks for the second stage boot program.
|
|
Delete a partition
|
Deletes a previously created partition. This command destroys
all the data in the partition.
|
|
Change between Solaris and Solaris2 Partition
IDs
|
Changes partition IDs from 130 (0x82) to
191 (0xbf) and back again.
|
|
Edit/View extended partitions
|
Manages partition information that is generally used for
booting.
|
|
Exit (update disk configuration and exit)
|
Writes a new version of the partition table and exits the
fdisk menu.
|
|
Cancel (exit without updating disk
configuration)
|
Exits the fdisk menu without modifying the
partition table.
|
|
analyze Menu
The analyze menu contents are displayed as follows:
format> analyze
ANALYZE MENU:
read - read only test (doesn't harm SunOS)
refresh - read then write (doesn't harm data)
test - pattern testing (doesn't harm data)
write - write then read (corrupts data)
compare - write, read, compare (corrupts data)
purge - write, read, write (corrupts data)
verify - write entire disk, then verify (corrupts data)
print - display data buffer
setup - set analysis parameters
config - show analysis parameters
quit
analyze>
The following table describes the analyze menu items.
Table 15 Descriptions for analyze Menu Items
|
|
|
read
|
Reads each sector on the current disk. Repairs defective
blocks as a default.
|
|
refresh
|
Reads then writes data on the current disk without harming the
data. Repairs defective blocks as a default.
|
|
test
|
Writes a set of patterns to the disk without harming the data.
Repairs defective blocks as a default.
|
|
write
|
Writes a set of patterns to the disk then reads back the data
on the disk. Destroys existing data on the disk. Repairs
defective blocks as a default.
|
|
compare
|
Writes a set of patterns to the disk, reads back the data, and
then compares it to the data in the write buffer. Destroys
existing data on the disk. Repairs defective blocks as a
default.
|
|
purge
|
Removes all data from the disk so that the data cannot be
retrieved by any means. Data is removed by writing three
distinct patterns over the entire disk (or a section of the
disk). If the verification passes, a hex-bit pattern is written
over the entire disk (or a section of the disk).
Repairs defective blocks as a default.
|
|
verify
|
In the first pass, writes unique data to each block on the
entire disk. In the next pass, reads and verifies the data.
Destroys existing data on the disk. Repairs defective blocks as
a default.
|
|
print
|
Displays the data in the read/write buffer.
|
|
setup
|
Enables you to specify the following analysis
parameters:
Analyze entire disk? yes
Starting block number: depends on drive
Ending block number: depends on drive
Loop continuously? no
Number of passes: 2
Repair defective blocks? yes
Stop after first error? no
Use random bit patterns? no
Number of blocks per transfer: 126 (0/n/nn)
Verify media after formatting? yes
Enable extended messages? no
Restore defect list? yes
Restore disk label? yes
|
|
config
|
Displays the current analysis parameters.
|
|
quit
|
Exits the analyze menu.
|
|
defect Menu
The defect menu contents are displayed as follows:
format> defect
DEFECT MENU:
primary - extract manufacturer's defect list
grown - extract manufacturer's and repaired defects lists
both - extract both primary and grown defects lists
print - display working list
dump - dump working list to file
quit
defect>
The following table describes the defect menu items.
Table 16 The defect Menu Item Descriptions
|
|
|
primary
|
Reads the manufacturer's defect list from the disk drive and
updates the in-memory defect list.
|
|
grown
|
Reads the grown defect list and then updates the in-memory
defect list. Grown defects are defects that have been detected
during analysis.
|
|
both
|
Reads both the manufacturer's defect list and the grown defect
list. Then, updates the in-memory defect list.
|
|
print
|
Displays the in-memory defect list.
|
|
dump
|
Saves the in-memory defect list to a file.
|
|
quit
|
Exits the defect menu.
|
|