---
name: "sg_safte"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "sg3_utils"
version: "1.49-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sg_safte"
---

# sg\_safte(8)

access SCSI Accessed Fault-Tolerant Enclosure (SAF-TE) device

## NAME

sg\_safte - access SCSI Accessed Fault-Tolerant Enclosure (SAF-TE) device

## SYNOPSIS

**sg\_safte** \[*--config*\] \[*--devstatus*\] \[*--encstatus*\] \[*--flags*\] \[*--help*\] \[*--hex*\] \[*--insertions*\] \[*--raw*\] \[*--usage*\] \[*--verbose*\] \[*--version*\] *DEVICE*

## DESCRIPTION

Fetches enclosure status (via a SCSI READ BUFFER command). The *DEVICE* should be a SAF-TE device which may be a storage array controller (INQUIRY peripheral device type 0xc) or a generic processor device (INQUIRY peripheral device type 0x3).

If no options are given (only the *DEVICE* argument) then the overall enclosure status as reported by the option *--config* is reported.

## OPTIONS

Arguments to long options are mandatory for short options as well. The options are arranged in alphabetical order based on the long option name.

- **-c**, **--config**

  will issues a *Read Enclosure Configuration* (READ BUFFER ID 0) cdb to the device, which returns a list of the enclosure hardware resources.

- **-d**, **--devstatus**

  will issue a *Read Device Slot Status* (READ BUFFER ID 4) cdb to the device, which returns information about the current state of each drive or slot.

- **-s**, **--encstatus**

  will issue a *Read Enclosure Status* (READ BUFFER ID 1) cdb to the device, which returns the operational state of the components.

- **-f**, **--flags**

  will issue a *Read Global Flags* (READ BUFFER ID 5) cdb to the device, which read the most recent state of the global flags of the RAID processor device.

- **-h**, **--help**

  output the usage message then exit.

- **-H**, **--hex**

  output the response to a READ BUFFER command in ASCII hex to stdout. If used once, output the response to the first READ BUFFER command (i.e. with buffer\_id=0). This should be the enclosure configuration. If used twice (or more often), the response to subsequent READ BUFFER commands is output.

- **-i**, **--insertions**

  will issue a *Read Device Insertions* (READ BUFFER ID 3) cdb to the device, which returns information about the number of times devices have been inserted whilst the RAID system was powered on.

- **-r**, **--raw**

  output the response to a READ BUFFER command in binary to stdout. If used once, output the response to the first READ BUFFER command (i.e. with buffer\_id=0). This should be the enclosure configuration. If used twice (or more often), the response to subsequent READ BUFFER commands is output.

- **-u**, **--usage**

  will issue a *Read Usage Statistics* (READ BUFFER ID 2) cdb to the device, which returns the information on total usage time and number of power-on cycles of the RAID device.

- **-v**, **--verbose**

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

- **-V**, **--version**

  print the version string and then exit.

## NOTES

This implementation is based on the intermediate review document dated 19970414 and named "SR041497.pdf". So it is quite old. Intel and nStor are the authors. Intel have a zip archive containing this and related documents in the "SAF-TE: SCSI Accessed Fault Tolerant Enclosures Interface Specification" section of this page:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/servers/ipmi/ipmi-technical-resources.html

Similar functionality is provided by SPC-4 SCSI Enclosure Services (SES) devices (Peripheral device type 0xd), which can be queried with the sg\_ses utility.

## EXAMPLES

To view the configuration:

   sg\_safte /dev/sg1

To view the device slot status:

   sg\_safte --devstatus /dev/sg1

## EXIT STATUS

The exit status of sg\_safte is 0 when it is successful. Otherwise see the [sg3\_utils(8)](/sg3_utils/8.md) man page.

## AUTHORS

Written by Hannes Reinecke and Douglas Gilbert.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<dgilbert at interlog dot com\>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2004-2016 Hannes Reinecke and Douglas Gilbert\
 This software is distributed under a BSD-2-Clause license. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

## SEE ALSO

**sg\_inq, sg\_ses (in sg3\_utils package); safte-monitor (internet)**