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Questions and Answers
What is the first part of the disk formatting process commonly referred to?
What is the first part of the disk formatting process commonly referred to?
- High-level formatting
- Quick formatting
- Low-level formatting (correct)
- Partitioning
What is the purpose of partitioning in the disk formatting process?
What is the purpose of partitioning in the disk formatting process?
- To erase all existing data
- To divide the device into several sub-devices (correct)
- To perform low-level formatting
- To combine multiple file systems
Which formatting method generates a new file system?
Which formatting method generates a new file system?
- High-level formatting (correct)
- Low-level formatting
- Quick formatting
- Partitioning
What does a quick format do compared to a long format?
What does a quick format do compared to a long format?
What is the minimum unit of storage that a disk driver reads from and writes to?
What is the minimum unit of storage that a disk driver reads from and writes to?
Which of the following technologies featured variable block sizes in disk storage?
Which of the following technologies featured variable block sizes in disk storage?
What happens to the data on a disk by default when formatted?
What happens to the data on a disk by default when formatted?
What is a distinguishing feature of low-level formatting?
What is a distinguishing feature of low-level formatting?
What logical block size did many hard disk drive manufacturers adopt in 2009?
What logical block size did many hard disk drive manufacturers adopt in 2009?
Which formatting process is performed by the disk drive's controller for floppy disks?
Which formatting process is performed by the disk drive's controller for floppy disks?
How many sectors does a standard 1.44 MB floppy disk typically have?
How many sectors does a standard 1.44 MB floppy disk typically have?
What is the maximum storage capacity of a typical 1.44 MB floppy disk?
What is the maximum storage capacity of a typical 1.44 MB floppy disk?
Which of the following values is traditionally used as a fill value during floppy disk formatting on IBM compatible machines?
Which of the following values is traditionally used as a fill value during floppy disk formatting on IBM compatible machines?
Which command is used in SCSI to perform a low-level format certification step?
Which command is used in SCSI to perform a low-level format certification step?
Which disk format allows for variable block sizes, especially notable in IBM systems?
Which disk format allows for variable block sizes, especially notable in IBM systems?
What is not possible for an end user to do with modern hard disk drives?
What is not possible for an end user to do with modern hard disk drives?
What does the ATA standard not provide for modern hard drives?
What does the ATA standard not provide for modern hard drives?
What is the most common value used for zero-filling a hard drive?
What is the most common value used for zero-filling a hard drive?
What unique double-layer sector sizes does Linux support in its formatting process?
What unique double-layer sector sizes does Linux support in its formatting process?
Which command allows for secure erasure of hard disk data in ATA?
Which command allows for secure erasure of hard disk data in ATA?
Why might zero-filling be considered insecure for use with an encrypted filesystem?
Why might zero-filling be considered insecure for use with an encrypted filesystem?
What distinguishes low-level formatting from reinitialization?
What distinguishes low-level formatting from reinitialization?
What primary method is used for formatting NVMe drives, which are generally solid-state?
What primary method is used for formatting NVMe drives, which are generally solid-state?
What is the implications of changing sector size on modern disk drives?
What is the implications of changing sector size on modern disk drives?
What is the primary purpose of partitioning a storage device?
What is the primary purpose of partitioning a storage device?
Which type of drives typically has a separate disk controller for data encoding?
Which type of drives typically has a separate disk controller for data encoding?
Which command is typically used for zero-filling a hard disk in Unix systems?
Which command is typically used for zero-filling a hard disk in Unix systems?
What does reformatting a disk primarily do?
What does reformatting a disk primarily do?
What might happen to reallocated sectors on newer hard drives?
What might happen to reallocated sectors on newer hard drives?
What value is typically used for filling flash disks to reduce wear?
What value is typically used for filling flash disks to reduce wear?
What does the INIT command in ICKDSF utility do in z/OS?
What does the INIT command in ICKDSF utility do in z/OS?
Why are partition editors not capable of low-level functions for HDDs?
Why are partition editors not capable of low-level functions for HDDs?
Which option is a common misconception about low-level formatting?
Which option is a common misconception about low-level formatting?
What is a host protected area on a hard drive?
What is a host protected area on a hard drive?
What may happen if a modern disk has been degaussed?
What may happen if a modern disk has been degaussed?
What is necessary to completely erase data from a storage medium?
What is necessary to completely erase data from a storage medium?
Which of the following formatting actions does not require reinstallation of the operating system?
Which of the following formatting actions does not require reinstallation of the operating system?
What consequence does using the /U parameter during formatting have?
What consequence does using the /U parameter during formatting have?
In which operating system does the format command perform an unconditional format with the /U switch?
In which operating system does the format command perform an unconditional format with the /U switch?
What is the main purpose of using the Secure Erase option on hard drives?
What is the main purpose of using the Secure Erase option on hard drives?
Which command is traditionally used for high-level formatting on Unix-like systems?
Which command is traditionally used for high-level formatting on Unix-like systems?
How is data treated on a disk after a high-level format is performed?
How is data treated on a disk after a high-level format is performed?
Which filling method is believed to be stronger for secure data destruction?
Which filling method is believed to be stronger for secure data destruction?
Which of the following tools is referred to for secure overwriting of hard drive partitions?
Which of the following tools is referred to for secure overwriting of hard drive partitions?
What issue arises with the /U switch and hard drive partitions?
What issue arises with the /U switch and hard drive partitions?
What happens to data during the long format using the /L option?
What happens to data during the long format using the /L option?
Which command allows for formatting of a disk to a specific file system name on Linux?
Which command allows for formatting of a disk to a specific file system name on Linux?
What is a colloquial term that refers to reformatting a drive?
What is a colloquial term that refers to reformatting a drive?
Why is reliance on the /U switch for secure overwriting inadvisable?
Why is reliance on the /U switch for secure overwriting inadvisable?
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Study Notes
Disk Formatting Process
- Disk Formatting: The process of preparing a data storage device for initial use.
- Three Stages:
- Low-level Formatting: Basic medium preparation, often referred to as "low-level formatting".
- Partitioning: Dividing the device into sub-devices, allowing an operating system to be booted from it.
- High-level Formatting: Generating a new file system.
- Quick Format: Doesn't erase all existing data.
- Long Format: Erases all existing data.
- Block: The minimum unit of storage read from and written to a disk.
- Early Disk Drives: Had fixed block sizes.
- Modern Hard Disk Drives: Use fixed-size blocks of 512 bytes or 4096 bytes (Advanced Format).
- Floppy Disks: Use fixed block sizes dependent on the host OS and controller.
- Optical Discs: Use fixed block sizes.
Low-Level Formatting
- Floppy Disks: Performed by the disk drive's controller.
- Hard Disk Drives: Typically done at the factory.
- Reinitialization: Returns a disk to a factory-like configuration.
- SCSI: Provides a Format Unit command for certification and sector size change.
- ATA: Doesn't provide low-level format functionality but allows sector size change.
- NVMe Drives: Have a standard formatting method.
- Seagate Drives: Offer a TTL serial debugging console for formatting partitions and modifying track parameters.
- Zero-Filling: Filling the drive with 0x00 value to erase all data.
- Flash Disks: Use 0xFF value to reduce wear.
Partitioning
- Dividing Device: Creates sub-devices treated as separate devices by the operating system.
- Partition Editors: fdisk, GNU Parted, Disk Utility.
- Floppy Disks: Not partitioned, but may require volume information.
High-Level Formatting
- Setting Up File System: Creates an empty file system on a disk partition or logical volume.
- Quick Formatting: Fast operation.
- Defects Scanning: May take considerable time.
- Floppy Disks: High- and low-level formatting combined in one pass.
- IBM Mainframes: Formatting done by the INIT command of the ICKDSF utility.
- z/OS Unix System Services: Three distinct levels of high-level formatting.
- CMS minidisk: Formatted by the CMS FORMAT command.
- Host Protected Area: Not normally visible to the operating system.
Reformatting
- High-level Formatting: Frees the disk of its contents.
- Data Erasure: Overwriting each block of data on the medium.
- OS Reinstallation: Reformatting often implies OS and software reinstallation.
Data Erasure
- Secure Erasure: Complete overwriting of each sector.
- Gutmann Method: 35-pass method believed to be effective in destroying sensitive data.
- Zero-Fill: One pass sufficient to prevent data remanence.
- Secure Erase Option: Trustworthy, but some SSDs may mis-implement it.
- Degaussing: Effective but renders the drive unusable.
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