Subject: Re: while we're looking at old bugs
To: None <mjacob@feral.com>
From: Justin T. Gibbs <gibbs@plutotech.com>
List: current-users
Date: 10/02/1997 11:35:31
>Inquiry/VPD info.

The CAM SCSI system already pulls this if it is available.  I was also 
surprised to see so many devices not support it.

>>I think you have to have some type of generic media "verification" system
>>in addition to properly handling the sense codes.  NT actually sticks some
>>kind of identifier in an otherwise unused section of the partition table,
>>but there may be other ways to handle this and have it work even if a disk
>>doesn't contain a BSD label on it anywhere.
>>
>
>I rather think that in the U*ix domain that the filesystem should be
>responsible for volume/partition validation.

Sure.  I don't really care who does it, as long as their is an interface
that allows it to be handled properly.  The FS layer may not be able to
completely handle the situation though if that FS type doesn't have some
kind of uniquifier.

It would also be nice to get some help from the FS if you encounter an
unrecoverable read error.  The FS may be able to write someting more
appropriate to that location than the all zeros that a standard remap
operation will give you.  It may also be able to take pro-active steps
to ensure maximum possible integrity of the filesystem.

--
Justin T. Gibbs
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