What Are the NVMe Format Properties in Intel® Memory and Storage Tool (Intel® MAS)?

The user guide for the Intel® Memory and Storage Tool provides a brief explanation for each property for the NVMe format command, but additional information is necessary to completely understand each property.

The NVMe format properties used by the Intel® Memory and Storage Tool are the following:

• LBAFormat (-nvmeFormat): Sets a value that corresponds to one of the supported LBA Formats described in Identify Namespace. If not provided, the tool will use the current value of the selected Intel® SSD. Valid values are:
  • 0 to NumLBAFormats (See NumLBAFormats Property for maximum value).
• SecureEraseSetting (-nvmeFormat): Specifies the setting for Secure Erase. If not provided, the tool will use a value of 2. Valid values are:
  • 0: No Secure Erase.
  • 1: User data erase.
  • 2: Crypto erase.
• ProtectionInformation (-nvmeFormat): Enables different protection information types. If not provided, the tool will use the current value of the selected Intel® SSD. Valid values are:
  • 0: Protection information is not enabled.
  • 1: Protection information type 1 is enabled
• MetadataSettings (-nvmeFormat): Specifies how metadata is transferred. If not provided, the tool will use the current value of the selected Intel® SSD. Valid values are:
  • 0: Metadata is transferred as part of a separate contiguous buffer.
  • 1: Metadata is transferred as part of an extended data LBA.

The Intel® Memory and Storage Tool executes the NVMe format following the NVMe specification. Review the NVMe Specifications Overview (nvmexpress.org/specifications/) to learn more about these properties.