VERITAS Volume Manager 4.1 Administrator's Guide

Understanding VERITAS Volume Manager
How Data is Stored
Chapter 1 3
How Data is Stored
There are several methods used to store data on physical disks. These
methods organize data on the disk so the data can be stored and
retrieved efficiently. The basic method of disk organization is called
formatting. Formatting prepares the hard disk so that files can be
written to and retrieved from the disk by using a prearranged storage
pattern.
Hard disks are formatted, and information stored, using two methods:
physical-storage layout and logical-storage layout. VxVM uses the
logical-storage layout method. The types of storage layout supported by
VxVM are introduced in this chapter.