check_device()
{
	LVM=0
	# checking if the disk is used
	if [ ! -e ${DEVICE} ] ; then
		fatal ${NOTEX_E} "${DEVICE} does not exist"
	fi
	if [ ! -b ${DEVICE} ] ; then
		fatal ${NOTBLK_E} "${DEVICE} is not a block file"
	fi
	MAJOR=$(echo $(mountpoint --devno "${DEVICE}") | awk -F: '{print $1}')
	MINOR=$(echo $(mountpoint --devno "${DEVICE}") | awk -F: '{print $2}')
	if [ $MAJOR -ne 254 ] && [ $MAJOR -ne 8 ] || [ $(($MINOR % 16)) -ne 0 ]; then  
		fatal ${WRONGBLK_E} "${DEVICE} is not a regular disk"
	fi
	if grep --quiet "${DEVICE}" /proc/mounts ; then
		fatal ${ISMOUNT_E} "${DEVICE} is mounted"
	fi
	if grep --quiet "${DEVICE}" /proc/swaps ; then
		fatal ${ISSWAP_E} "${DEVICE} is udes as swap"
	fi

	if pvs | grep --quiet "${DEVICE}" ; then
		# check if the device has a open (e.g. mounted) lv
		if [ $(lvs --noheadings --select vg_name="$(pvs --noheadings --select pv_name=~"${DEVICE}" -o vg_name)" --select lv_device_open!=0 | wc -l) -ne 0 ] ; then
			fatal ${LVMUSED_E} "${DEVICE} is part of a used lvm volume"
		fi
		if [ $(vgs --noheadings --select pv_name=~"${DEVICE}" -o pv_count | uniq) -gt $(vgs --noheadings --select pv_name=~"${DEVICE}" | wc -l) ] ; then
			fatal ${LVMPV_E} "${DEVICE} is part of a lvm volume group shared with other physical volumes"
		fi
		LVM=1
	fi
}