Common Partition Tables (GPT)
GPT Partitions
GUID – globally unique identifiers.
introduced on a system with 64-bit Intel Itanium (IA64) processors.
is part of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) standard.
replaces the BIOS and can also be used in PCs.
drives are identified with globally unique identifiers (GUID).
uses 64-bit LBA.
Microsoft added support since Windows 2008.
Structure:
protective MBR – to prevent non-compatible OS from formatting the drive.
GPT header – starts on sector 1, defines the size and location of the partition table, and has also a checksum.
partition table – supports up to 128 partitions, and contains begin and end sectors, type, name, attributes, and GUID values (128 bits).
partition area – the main drive area.
backup area – located in the last sectors of the drive.
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