Many thanks for much appreciated suggestions and answers!! from:
"Guy Dallaire" <dallaire_at_total.net>
"Pam Woods, Systems Manager" <axsymgr_at_uaa.alaska.edu>
Gyula Szokoly <szgyula_at_arrakis.pha.jhu.edu>
<alan_at_nabeth.cxo.dec.com>
Bill Bennett <BENNETT_at_mpgars.desy.de>
"Michael A. Crowley" <mcrowley_at_mtholyoke.edu>
Dave Sinnott <dave_at_persimmon.com>
barnwell_at_jbsvax.eksystems.com (Barnwell_at_eksystems.com voice 508-303-6905)
The Answer:
I was exceeding the maximum 3m total cable length for SCSI-2.
See replies at end of this message.
The Solution:
We were using a 2nd SCSI controller in the machine with a Yamaha CD-R
attached. The CD-R drive needed to be on a different bus from the
disks to avoid running out of data while recording. However since
we can easily avoid using the tape drive and the CD-R at the same
time, I put the TLZ07 on the 2nd bus. Apart from a "grumble" on
boot-up, all seems to work fine. No other errors from uerf (well ... not
yet Dave!)
If anyone can cast any light on the grumble ...? Should I worry ...?
vmunix: cam_logger: CAM_ERROR packet
vmunix: cam_logger: bus 1 target 5 lun 0
vmunix: ss_device_reset_done
vmunix: Bus device reset has been performed
The 2nd SCSI adapter is a KZPAA (NCR 52C810)
The above messages appeared even if the TLZ07 was the only device
attached.
The Question was:
> Is the configuration in the diagram below a valid one?
> or ... Can these components be persuaded to work together?
> _______
> | |
> ----BN36A-0B---||----BN23G----| TLZ07 |
> ______|_______ |_______|
> | | | SCSI ID 5
> | |
> | (4) RZ29B-VW | SCSI ID 6
> | |
> | (3) RZ29B-VW | SCSI ID 3
> | |
> | (2) Empty |
> | |
> DU 3.2D | (1) Empty |
> ______________ | |
> | | | |
> | ALPHAstation | | StorageWorks |
> | 500/266 | | BA364-AB |
> |___________|__| |______|_______|
> | |
> --------BN21K-------
>
> All seemed to work happily for three months with a single RZ29B-VW disk
> (4.3GB fast, wide) installed in the StorageWorks box (Office expansion
> unit for four 8/16-bit SCSI 3.5" devices). However... when a 2nd
> RZ29B-VW was installed in StorageWorks, Unix wouldn't have anything to
> do with ANY of it - refusing to boot at all.
>
> On power up all devices were visible:
>
> >>> show conf
> :
> PCI Bus
> :
> :
> Bus 00 Slot 09: ISP1020 Scsi Controller
> pka0.7.0.9.0 SCSI Bus ID 7
> dka0.0.0.9.0 RZ28D (internal)
> dka100.1.0.9.0 RZ28D (internal)
> dka300.3.0.9.0 RZ29B (in expansion box)
> dka400.4.0.9.0 RRD45 (internal)
> dka600.6.0.9.0 RZ29B (in expansion box)
> mka500.5.0.9.0 TLZ07 (hanging off the end)
>
> But, after attempting to boot Unix (failed to send Read to dka0.0.0.9.0)
> show conf only displayed the pka0 ... line, none of the devices
>
> If the tape drive is removed and a terminator installed, then all is well.
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Replies:
From: "Guy Dallaire" <dallaire_at_total.net>
Are you sure that the tape drive is terminated ?
Also, never forget that the device itselves consume some SCSI cable lenght
(internal data path) and sometimes, a hard disk can consume as long as 1
feet of SCSI cable.
Was the tape there when there was a single disk ?
Looks like a termination or cabling problem. I don't know the part numbers
exactly, so I can't help with your schematics.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Pam Woods, Systems Manager" <axsymgr_at_uaa.alaska.edu>
Good question. I have an alpha station with a tlz07 table top and
when to connect the same type of SW cabinet and was told
that this probably won't work. But if you find it is supported
that's great.
I have an alpha station 200 4/166 ...
I've been told I probably need a 2nd board like an Adaptec 1742a
(pb2ha-sa) and another cable to hook the sw cabinet up and keep the
tape drive going..
I've just not called dec direct to get the info yet!
Pam
----------
maybe with the 2nd drive the problem is you've exceeded the
internal "scsi" length... hmmm our tech mentioned something along
that line...
----------
Fyi
I just talked to the storage works people (1-800-stor-wor)
and since I had your message up on the screen I confirmed
this would work ...
They said check your scsi id's and make sure you've not exceeded
the 3 meter distance.
One thing Inoticed is that 6 comes before 5 below... I wonder
if you change it so the tape drive is 6 and the drive is 5 if it would
work better? I don't think it matters but maybe it does.
Hope this helps. pam
one more thing
He gave me a 1 meter cable part number of bn31w .. It looks like
you have 2 cables between the tape drive and storage works...
maybe that's it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Gyula Szokoly <szgyula_at_arrakis.pha.jhu.edu>
I had something simmilar a while back (I had the extra device between
the CPU and the SorageWorks tower). It had random bus resets, etc.
I figured it was extra SCSI cable length that caused it -- and I
could not do anything beyond geting a new SCSI card (it was a
3000/600 CPU, but it does not really matter).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <alan_at_nabeth.cxo.dec.com>
Double check the ID setting for the new device. If this
is one of the stackable boxes, matching switch pack to
slot wasn't easy from the one I've seen. Also, Digital
has had a habit of using switch packs that are only ready
when a box is turned on. If you didn't turn off the box,
after changing the ID, try that.
When devices "disappear" from a bus, it is often a sign
that two devices are at the same ID.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: BENNETT_at_mpgars.desy.de
Curious, I was just looking into a similar problem today (trying to figure
out how to connect a SWSXE-27 (BA364) minitower (with HD68 connectors)
containing only a TZ88N (8-bit single-ended SCSI) to a DEC 3000/600
(SCSI-II only) ... I decided that as long as I only had 8-bit devices on
the bus, an adaptor cable would be sufficient. (The BN31W-01FR-PCXAR cable
is the equivalent to the two you show above, an HD68-LD50 adaptor.) But
it was my impression that if you actually have fast/wide signals on the
bus, you need a signal converter between the fast/wide devices and the
8-bit devices. Digital sells two such converters (also bus extenders),
the DWZZA and DWZZB; see the chapter on Storage Controllers and Adapters
in the online Systems & Options Catalog at
http://www.digital.com/info/SOC/.
So if that were right, you would probably need a converter between your
BA364 and the TLZ07; but OTOH if that were right, you original configuration
shouldn't have worked, either... Could your original RZ29B not have been
running in fast/wide mode?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Dave Sinnott <dave_at_persimmon.com>
Aideen, sounds like you're running into the infamous "maximum cable
length" with SCSI. You may want to get a shorter BN21K cable and try
again.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: barnwell_at_jbsvax.eksystems.com (Barnwell_at_eksystems.com voice
508-303-6905)
it looks like you scsi bus needs to have the new drive at scsi address 2
If my memory serves me (often it fails me) right the rz2x-vx drives can be set
to a scsi Id on the drive or they get the address from what slot in the box they
are in. There is a switch that selects this mode.
It would also seem that if you set the switches in the opposite position a scsi
id of 2 would be a scsi ID of 5 which would conflict with your tape.
010 = 2 101 = 5
off on off on off on
sometimes the switches are sensed the other way ie: 0n off on = 010 = 2
but all in all it sounds like your close
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aideen McConville The Westbrook Centre Phone: +44 1223 578761
Systems Administrator Milton Rd Fax: +44 1223 322501
Persimmon IT Inc CAMBRIDGE CB4 1YG email: aideen_at_persimmon.com
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Received on Mon Jan 20 1997 - 22:47:46 NZDT