Sony SDX-700C, Product Specifications Manual

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MODE SELSECT 6.Command Specification
SONY AIT-3 drive SDX-700 series Ver.2.1 6-53
If the Additional Partitions Defined and Partition Size fields are set to ZERO the drive will initialize the tape as
Partition 0, spanning the whole length of the tape.
The size of Partition 0 is only valid during MODE SENSE and is ignored during MODE SELECT. And remaining
Capacity belongs to Partition 0.
Note 1: SDX-700C accepts any number including 0FFh for the Parameter List Length in CDB, although the drive
returns valid information only. For example, in case of a single partition, SDX-700C returns 16h bytes of
parameter list (sufficient for one partition size descriptor), even if the host sets 0FFh for the Parameter List
Length in CDB.
Note 2: The Partition Size represents a changeable value, because tapes can be re-initialized. The drive would
return N-1 pieces of partition size descriptors that contents is all 0FFh when N partitions on tape.
Note 3: Last partitions are open-ended partitions, because they are extendible up to the EOT. Consequently, the
size of the last partition can be calculated from the number of remaining frames, excluding the Option
Device Area.
Note 4: The Volume Information Data is stored both into MIC and on tape, after completing a Mode Select Page
11h command. This is so, because the SysLogAlive bits must be valid on the tape, in order to indicate
where the System Log information is.
Note 5: SDX-700C create ODA (Optional Device Area) at all partitions except for the last partition.
Note 6: If ODA is active we can format this tape.