10.8Protection Information (PI)

Protection Information is intended as a standardized approach to system level LRC traditionally provided by systems using 520 byte formatted LBAs. Drives formatted with PI information provide the same, common LBA count (i.e. same capacity point) as non-PI formatted drives. Sequential performance of a PI drive will be reduced by approximately 1.56% due to the extra overhead of PI being transferred from the media that is not calculated as part of the data transferred to the host. To determine the full transfer rate of a PI drive, transfers should be calculated by adding the 8 extra bytes of PI to the transferred LBA length, i.e. 512 + 8 = 520. PI for- matted drives are physically formatted to 520 byte sectors that store 512 bytes of customer data with 8 bytes of Protection Information appended to it. The advantage of PI is that the Protection Information bits can be man- aged at the HBA and HBA driver level. Allowing a system that typically does not support 520 LBA formats to integrate this level of protection.

Protection Information is valid with any supported LBA size. 512 LBA size is used here as common example.

10.8.1Levels of PI

There are 4 types of Protection Information.

Type 0 - Describes a drive that is not formatted with PI information bytes. This allows for legacy support in non- PI systems.

Type 1 - Provides support of PI protection using 10 and 16 byte commands. The RDPROTECT and WRTPRO- TECT bits allow for checking control through the CDB. Eight bytes of Protection Information are transmitted at LBA boundaries across the interface if RDPROTECT and WRTPROTECT bits are nonzero values. Type 1 does not allow the use of 32 byte commands.

Type 2 - Provides checking control and additional expected fields within the 32 byte CDBs. Eight bytes of Pro- tection Information are transmitted at LBA boundaries across the interface if RDPROTECT and WRTPRO- TECT bits are nonzero values. Type 2 does allow the use of 10 and 16 byte commands with zero values in the RDPROTECT and WRTPROTECT fields. The drive will generate 8 bytes (e.g.0xFFFF) 8 bytes of Protection Information to be stored on the media, but the 8 bytes will not be transferred to the host during a read com- mand.

Type 3 - Seagate products do not support Type 3.

10.8.2Setting and determining the current Type Level

A drive is initialized to a type of PI by using the format command on a PI capable drive. Once a drive is format- ted to a PI Type, it may be queried by a Read Capacity (16) command to report the PI type which it is currently formatted to. PI Types cannot coexist on a single drive. A drive can only be formatted to a single PI Type. It can be changed at anytime to a new Type but requires a low level format which destroys all existing data on the drive. No other vehicle for changing the PI type is provided by the T10 SBC3 specification.

Type 1 PI format CDB command:

04

90 00 00 00 00,

Write Buffer: 00 A0 00 00

Type 2 PI format CDB command:

04

D0 00 00 00 00,

Write Buffer: 00 A0 00 00

10.8.3Identifying a Protection Information drive

The Standard Inquiry provides a bit to indicate if PI is support by the drive. Vital Product Descriptor (VPD) page 0x86 provides bits to indicate the PI Types supported and which PI fields the drive supports checking.

Note. For further details with respect to PI, please refer to SCSI Block Commands - 3 (SBC-3) Draft Stan- dard documentation.

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Seagate ST33000650SS, ST33000652SS Protection Information PI, Levels of PI, Setting and determining the current Type Level
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ST33000652SS, ST33000650SS, ST33000651SS specifications

The Seagate ST33000651SS, ST33000650SS, and ST33000652SS are high-performance enterprise hard drives designed for demanding storage applications. These models are part of the Seagate Constellation ES series, known for their reliability and performance in server and data center environments.

One of the most notable features of these drives is their capacity. The ST33000651SS and ST33000650SS offer a storage capacity of 3TB, providing ample space for data-intensive applications. The ST33000652SS enhances this with a larger storage option, ensuring that organizations can meet growing data demands without needing frequent upgrades.

These drives utilize a SATA 6Gb/s interface, which allows for high-speed data transfer. This increased bandwidth is essential for applications that rely on rapid access, such as virtualization, cloud computing, and database management systems. Additionally, the drives support Native Command Queuing (NCQ), which enhances performance by optimizing the order in which read and write commands are executed.

Reliability is paramount in enterprise environments, and Seagate addresses this with several technologies designed to minimize downtime. The ST33000651SS and its counterparts feature a 7200 RPM spindle speed, which not only delivers fast access times but also contributes to the overall durability of the drives. They also come with advanced error correction and data integrity features, which safeguard against data loss.

Another important characteristic of these drives is their low power consumption. Operating at an average power usage of 6.0W, they help reduce operational costs, particularly in large-scale deployments. This energy efficiency is essential for organizations looking to maintain sustainability while maximizing performance.

In terms of physical design, these hard drives are built to endure tough conditions typically found in data centers. They come in a standard 3.5-inch form factor, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of servers and storage enclosures. The robust design further enhances their lifespan, making them a sound investment for enterprise storage solutions.

In summary, the Seagate ST33000651SS, ST33000650SS, and ST33000652SS hard drives offer a compelling combination of high capacity, fast data transfer rates, and reliability. Their advanced technologies and energy-efficient design make them ideal choices for enterprises that require dependable and high-performing storage solutions in their IT infrastructure.
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