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SG_READ_ATTR(8) 		    SG3_UTILS			 SG_READ_ATTR(8)

NAME
     sg_read_attr - send SCSI READ ATTRIBUTE command

SYNOPSIS
     sg_read_attr  [--cache] [--enumerate] [--ea=EA] [--filter=FL] [--first=FAI]
     [--help] [--hex] [--in=FN] [--lvn=LVN] [--maxlen=LEN]  [--pn=PN]  [--quiet]
     [--raw] [--readonly] [--sa=SA] [--verbose] [--version] DEVICE

DESCRIPTION
     Sends  a  SCSI  READ  ATTRIBUTE  command to DEVICE and outputs the data re-
     turned. This command was introduced in SPC-3 revision 1 and thus is applic-
     able to all SCSI devices. In practice it is used mainly for  tape	systems.
     This   utility   is   based  on  the  SPC-5  draft  standard,  revision  17
     (spc5r17.pdf).

OPTIONS
     Arguments to long options are mandatory for short options as well.

     -c, --cache
	    sets the CACHE bit in the READ ATTRIBUTE cdb. This instructs the de-
	    vice server to return cached attributes.  By  default  that  bit  is
	    cleared  which  instructs the device server not to return cached at-
	    tributes.

     -e, --enumerate
	    enumerates all known attributes and service actions. Attributes  in-
	    clude an identifier, length, format and a name as defined by T10. If
	    DEVICE is given then it is ignored.

     -E, --ea=EA
	    where EA is an element address which is placed in the READ ATTRIBUTE
	    cdb.  This	field is only found in SMC-2 and SMC-3 drafts for medium
	    changers usually associated with tape  libraries.  By  default  this
	    field is set to zero.

     -f, --filter=FL
	    where  FL  is an attribute identifier in the range 0 to 65535 or -1.
	    Attribute identifiers are typically given in  hexadecimal  in  which
	    case  the  hex  number  should be prefixed by "0x" or has a trailing
	    "h". "-1" is the default value and means 'match all'; for all  other
	    values of FL on the matching attribute is output.

     -F, --first=FAI
	    where  FAI	is the "first attribute identifier" field in the cdb. It
	    seems as though the intent of this field  is  that	only  attributes
	    whose identifiers are equal to or greater than FAI are returned. The
	    default  value  of FAI is zero. Attributes are returned in ascending
	    identifier order.

     -h, --help
	    output the usage message then exit.

     -H, --hex
	    output the response in hexadecimal to stdout.  When  used  once  the
	    whole response is output in ASCII hexadecimal with a leading address
	    (starting  at  0)  on  each line. When used twice each attribute de-
	    scriptor in the response is output separately in  hexadecimal.  When
	    used  thrice  the  whole  response	is output in hexadecimal with no
	    leading address (on each line).
	    Output generated by '-HHH' (or --hex used three times) can be  redi-
	    rected  to	a file. That file will be in suitable format for --in=FN
	    to use in a later invocation.

     -i, --in=FN
	    FN is treated as a file name (or '-' for stdin) which contains ASCII
	    hexadecimal or binary representing the response to a READ  ATTRIBUTE
	    command with service action 0x0 (i.e (fetch) attribute values). When
	    this option is given then DEVICE (if also given) is ignored.
	    By	default  FN  is assumed to contain ASCII hexadecimal arranged as
	    bytes which a space, tab or comma  delimited.  All	characters  from
	    (and including) "#" to the end of line are ignored. If the --raw op-
	    tion  is  also given then FN is assumed to contain binary data. When
	    the --raw option is given then after processing the input the inter-
	    nal raw variable is reset to 0 so it has no effect on the output.
	    Since the READ ATTRIBUTE response does not contain the  service  ac-
	    tion  number  that	it  is a response to, then the --sa=SA should be
	    given (if not service action 0 (attribute values) is assumed.

     -l, --lvn=LVN
	    where LVN is placed in the "logical volume number" field of the cdb.
	    The default value is zero which is required to be the logical volume
	    number if the device only has one volume.

     -m, --maxlen=LEN
	    where LEN is the (maximum) response length in bytes. It is placed in
	    the cdb's "allocation length" field. If not given (or LEN  is  zero)
	    then 8192 is used. The maximum allowed value of LEN is 1048576.

     -p, --pn=PN
	    where  PN  is  placed in the "partition number" field of the cdb. If
	    the DEVICE only has one partition then its partition number must  be
	    zero. The default value of PN is zero.

     -q, --quiet
	    this  option  reduces  the amount of information output. For example
	    when used once (SA=0), it suppresses the header line announcing  the
	    output of attributes; when used twice it suppresses the name of each
	    attribute,	 leaving   only  the  associated  attribute  values  (or
	    strings).

     -r, --raw
	    output the SCSI response (i.e. the data-out buffer)  in  binary  (to
	    stdout).

     -R, --readonly
	    open  the  DEVICE  read-only  (e.g. in Unix with the O_RDONLY flag).
	    The default is to open it read-write.

     -s, --sa=SA
	    where SA is placed on the "service action" field of the cdb.  Values
	    of	0  to  63  are accepted with a default of 0. spc5r08.pdf defines
	    five service actions: 0 for attributes values ; 1 for  an  attribute
	    list  (names,  not values), 2 for the logical volume list; 3 for the
	    partition list; 4 is restricted for SMC-3; and 5 for  the  supported
	    attribute list.
	    Alternatively  an acronym can be given for SA. The acronym should be
	    one of "av", "al", "lvl", "pn", "smc" or "sa" for service actions  0
	    to 5 respectively. The acronyms can also be given in upper case.

     -v, --verbose
	    increase the level of verbosity, (i.e. debug output).

     -V, --version
	    print the version string and then exit.

NOTES
     Only  tape  systems  seem to implement the SCSI READ ATTRIBUTE command. The
     vast majority of its definition is in the	SPC  standard  so  other  device
     types could use it.

     Much  of  the  information  provided by READ ATTRIBUTE can also be found in
     pages returned by LOG SENSE (see the sg_logs utility) and in the VPD  pages
     returned by the INQUIRY command.

EXAMPLES
     To  list the attributes of a tape drive whose DEVICE is /dev/sg1 , the fol-
     lowing could be used:

       # sg_read_attr -s al /dev/sg1
       Attribute list:
	 Remaining capacity in partition [MiB]
	 Maximum capacity in partition [MiB]
	 TapeAlert flags
	 Load count
	 MAM space remaining [B]
	 Assigning organization
	 Format density code
	 ...

     To check the number of partitions:

       # sg_read_attr -s pl /dev/sg1
       Partition number list:
	 First partition number: 0
	 Number of partitions available: 2

     And to see the attribute values (which is the default service action):

       # sg_read_attr /dev/sg1
       Attribute values:
	 Remaining capacity in partition [MiB]: 1386103
	 Maximum capacity in partition [MiB]: 1386103
	 TapeAlert flags: 0
	 ....

     To redirect the attribute values response to a file for later decoding:

       # sg_read_attr -HHH /dev/sg1 > av.hex

     And later the response held in the av.hex file could be decoded with:

       # sg_read_attr -s av --in=av.hex
       Attribute values:
	 Remaining capacity in partition [MiB]: 1386103
	 Maximum capacity in partition [MiB]: 1386103
	 TapeAlert flags: 0
	 ....

EXIT STATUS
     The exit status of sg_read_attr is 0 when it is successful.  Otherwise  see
     the sg3_utils(8) man page.

AUTHORS
     Written by Douglas Gilbert.

REPORTING BUGS
     Report bugs to <dgilbert at interlog dot com>.

COPYRIGHT
     Copyright (C) 2016-2020 Douglas Gilbert
     This software is distributed under a BSD-2-Clause license. There is NO war-
     ranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

SEE ALSO
     sg_vpd,sg_logs(sg3_utils)

sg3_utils-1.46			  December 2020 		 SG_READ_ATTR(8)

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