Fixed-block architecture

Fixed-block architecture (FBA) is an IBM term for the hard disk drive (HDD) layout in which each addressable block (more commonly, sector) on the disk has the same size, utilizing 4 byte block numbers and a new set of command codes.[1] FBA as a term was created and used by IBM for its 3310 and 3370 HDDs beginning in 1979 to distinguish such drives as IBM transitioned away from their variable record size format used on IBM's mainframe hard disk drives beginning in 1964 with its System/360.

  1. ^ IBM 3880 Storage Control Models 1, 2, 3 and 4 Description Manual (PDF) (Tenth ed.), IBM, September 1987, GA26-1661-9