Hello,
We are having very serious problems as a result of a firmware upgrade on an
AlphaStation 600/333. The hardware configuration consists of three SCSI chains
of disks (bus0, bus1, bus2) with an added FDDI controller (DEFPA-AA SAS
controller).
The operating system was DEC Unix V3.2d when the firmware was updated from
current to FIRMWARE UPDATE V5.0 in preparation for a rolling updgrade of the
operating system to V4.0 and then to 4.0d.
The firmware upgrade procedure was composed of two steps:
1. the console firmware update
2. the PCI/EISA options firmware update [ALPHA600]AS600_PCI_V6_2.EXE
This process created two problems:
1. SCSI CAM errors on the system disk which caused us to call tech support,
replace the disk (twice), and / and /usr were restored from tape. System still
gave SCSI CAM errors. All external SCSI devices were removed and replaced one
by one until the problem reappeared. It reappeared only when the last SCSI
device was powered up. We have yet to determine if ANY one SCSI device left
powered down cures the problem.
2. The FDDI controller no longer works in our network environment (4 FDDI
DEChub900 hubs, this alpha plugged into one 'M' channel in a FDDI
DECConcentrator 900MX). It actually locks up the hub and appears to crash the
backbone FDDI ring (imagine what happens to the rest of the site without
network!)
On point 2, it was noted that on the UPD firmware update installer, the
listing showed "Invalid Image" for the filename dfeaa_fw.
The question really is now is our problem related entirely to the firmware
upgrade/problem/compatibility or hardware (ie. FDDI card, motherboard). It is
difficult to undo the PCI firmware update since it was factory installed and
came with the machine (we do not have the CD for the original firmware).
If anyone can help us on this situation, we would be most grateful.
Thanks,
Russell King / Corrie Kost
TRIUMF
4004 Wesbrook Mall
Vancouver, BC
V6T 2A3
email: rking_at_triumf.ca and/or kost_at_triumf.ca
Received on Fri Mar 13 1998 - 21:14:34 NZDT