What Are the Differences Between MBR and GPT Partition Styles?

Table 1 lists the common disk partition styles. In Linux, different partition styles require different partitioning tools.

Table 1 Disk partition styles

Disk Partition Style

Maximum Disk Capacity Supported

Maximum Number of Partitions Supported

Linux Partitioning Tool

Master Boot Record (MBR)

2 TiB
  • 4 primary partitions
  • 3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition
With MBR, you can create several primary partitions and one extended partition. The extended partition must be divided into logical partitions before use. For example, if 6 partitions need to be created, you can create them in the following two ways:
  • 3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition, with the extended partition divided into 3 logical partitions
  • 1 primary partition and 1 extended partition, with the extended partition divided into 5 logical partitions

You can use either of the following tools:

  • fdisk
  • parted

Guid Partition Table (GPT)

18 EiB

1 EiB = 1048576 TiB

Unlimited

Disk partitions created using GPT are not categorized.

parted

The maximum disk size supported by MBR is 2 TiB, and that supported by GPT is 18 EiB. Because an EVS data disk currently supports up to 32 TiB, use GPT if your disk size is larger than 2 TiB.

If you change the partition style after the disk has been used, the data on the disk will be cleared. Therefore, select an appropriate partition style when initializing the disk.

Parent topic: General