Patent ID: 7743206

Claim:
A method for obtaining information from a data storage device, comprising: writing data, said data comprising a unique sequence of records that is a single specific pattern, which pattern has a low probability of existing for normal data written to a logical volume, said pattern indicating a device specific information request for said data storage device, to at least one logical volume on said data storage device using standard write commands; rewinding or demounting said at least one logical volume; after said rewinding or demounting said at least one logical volume, said data storage device analyzing said data written to said at least one logical volume to detect said single specific pattern of said unique sequence of records apart from normal data written to said logical volume; and in response to said data storage device detecting said unique sequence of records on said at least one logical volume, placing a device specific information data request flag in a metadata associated with said at least one logical volume to indicate that said at least one logical volume comprises device specific information.