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What is the best way to test a disk using 'format' under Solaris (Sparc)?

There seems to be several options, under the 'analyze' menu in format:

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
!<cmd> - execute <cmd> , then return
quit


I'm not sure of the difference between 'write', 'compare' and 'verify'.
All seem to be a different way of saying the same thing to me, but I
guess there must be a difference.

--
Dave (from the UK)

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: month-year@althorne.org
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http://chessdb.sourceforge.net/ - a Free open-source Chess Database

Dave (from the UK) wrote:

> What is the best way to test a disk using 'format' under Solaris (Sparc)?
>
> There seems to be several options, under the 'analyze' menu in format:
>
> 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
> !<cmd> - execute <cmd> , then return
> quit
>
>
> I'm not sure of the difference between 'write', 'compare' and 'verify'.
> All seem to be a different way of saying the same thing to me, but I
> guess there must be a difference.
>

How about using sunvts? That has quite a few disk test options.

--
Chris

"Dave (from the UK)" <see-my-signature@southminster-branch-line.org.uk> wrote:
> I'm not sure of the difference between 'write', 'compare' and 'verify'.
> All seem to be a different way of saying the same thing to me, but I
> guess there must be a difference.

It is exactly what is written in the short description:

write:
writes a block, reads it back

compare:
like write, but the block read back is checked if it contains the
same data that has been written

verify:
write the entire disk, then read the disk back and compare.
This should eliminate caching effects on the disk drive

--
Daniel

"Dave (from the UK)" <see-my-signature@southminster-branch-line.org.uk>
wrote in message news:45f09119@212.67.96.135...
> What is the best way to test a disk using 'format' under Solaris (Sparc)?
>
> There seems to be several options, under the 'analyze' menu in format:

Do you care about the data on the disk?

Trinean

Trinean wrote:
> "Dave (from the UK)" <see-my-signature@southminster-branch-line.org.uk>
> wrote in message news:45f09119@212.67.96.135...
>
>>What is the best way to test a disk using 'format' under Solaris (Sparc)?
>>
>>There seems to be several options, under the 'analyze' menu in format:
>
>
> Do you care about the data on the disk?
>
> Trinean
>
>

Hi,
I did not care about the data. I used format ->analyze ->verify and
found no problems, but there are grown bad sectors and sysmontools
indicates problems too. It has also been used for 45 days, which is a
bit much for a disk sold as new. The disk is being returned.

If you have other suggestions on the best ways to test a drive, I'm
interested - someone else suggested VTS, which I never thought of, but
it is perhaps the obvious one.

--
Dave (from the UK)

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: month-year@althorne.org
Hitting reply will work for a few months only - later set it manually.

http://chessdb.sourceforge.net/ - a Free open-source Chess Database

> I did not care about the data. I used format ->analyze ->verify and
> found no problems, but there are grown bad sectors and sysmontools
> indicates problems too. It has also been used for 45 days, which is a
> bit much for a disk sold as new. The disk is being returned.
>
> If you have other suggestions on the best ways to test a drive, I'm
> interested - someone else suggested VTS, which I never thought of, but
> it is perhaps the obvious one.
>
> --
> Dave (from the UK)

Since you don't care about data you can go into analyze and set parameters
to:

Enter number of passes[2]: 25
Use random bit patterns[no]? yes

and then go back and format the drive.

If that fails or marks an insane amount of blocks bad, then you know the
drive has problems.
If it succeeds, then switch to SunVTS.

Partition the entire disk as one slice via format and label it.
Then bring up SunVTS and select the drive you want to test.
Select the partition you made the whole disk.
Set Media Write Read Mode: to WriteRead
Set Media Coverage to 100%
Set Seek Pattern: to R
Set Media Transfer Size: to random

Apply the changes and then start cranking away!
If that doesn't find any problems after a couple days, then the drive should
be good.

Trinean