Description of problem:
I'm not exactly sure where the defining line is but somewhere around the size of
1-2TB MSDOS partitions are no longer able to handle the full size of the disks.
This causes all sorts of unexpected problems:

# juno578 /root > parted /dev/sdb print

Model: AMCC 9650SE-8LP DISK (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 6000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start  End  Size  Type  File system  Flags

Information: Don't forget to update /etc/fstab, if necessary.            

                                          


Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
1.8.1

How reproducible:
100%

Steps to Reproduce:
1.# juno578 /root > parted -i /dev/sdb
GNU Parted 1.8.1
Using /dev/sdb
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
(parted) mkpart                                                           
Partition type?  primary/extended? primary                                
File system type?  [ext2]? ext3                                          
Start? 0                                                                  
End? -1                        
2. 
3.
  
Actual results:
(parted) print                                                            

Model: AMCC 9650SE-8LP DISK (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 6000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
1      0.51kB  1602GB  1602GB  primary                    

(parted)                                                                  

# juno578 /root > fdisk /dev/sdb

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 729447.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
  (e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sdb: 5999.9 GB, 5999909928960 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 729447 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

  Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1      194749  1564319743+  83  Linux

Command (m for help): d
Selected partition 1

Expected results:
Warn of type msdos and setup constraints suitable for that type

Additional info:
Something like below should be implemented
http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.gnu.parted.bugs/9371