SUMMARY: DU4.0D and KZPSA A11 Firmware

From: Dan West <dwest_at_adagis.ada.epa.gov>
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 08:44:51 -0600

ORIGINAL POSTING
----------------
The list archive web site is not responding right now so forgive me
if this question has already been answered.

I'm in the process of upgrading an Alpha 2100A 5/300 from DU4.0B to
DU4.0D and decided to upgrade the firmware from V4.5-65 to V5.0.
The firmware update notes state that a DU patch is required for the
KZPSA A11 firmware that is part of the V5.0 firmware upgrade. I went
to the digital patch site but could not find anything listed for 4.0D.

Does anyone know if the required KZPSA patches have been incorporated
into 4.0D? And if so do I need to wait until after the DU4.0D upgrade
to upgrade the firmware? And if I do need to wait until after the
OS upgrade will my current firmware (V4.5-65) work with 4.0D? The
4.0B Installation Guide shows my hardware needing V4.7 of the firmware
even though it has been running fine for many months. Am I missing
something here?

SUMMARY
-------
Thanks to the following:
        Alan <alan_at_nabeth.cxo.dec.com>
        John F. Marten <root_at_tigger.oslc.org>
        Alan Davis <Alan.Davis_at_digital.com>
        John P.Speno" <speno_at_isc.upenn.edu>
        Martin Mokrejs <mmokrejs_at_mail.natur.cuni.cz>
        Norm Thomas <normt_at_ix.netcom.com>

The replies are included below but the consensus was that the KZPSA patches
are included in the 4.0D release. Nobody addressed the firmware question
so I took a chance and installed 4.0D with my current V4.5-65 firmware.
Immediately after the OS upgrade I upgraded the firmware to V5.0. This
seemed to work OK except for loosing access to the second CPU. I was
able to get the second CPU back by using the "clear_errors all" and
"set cpu_enabled ff" commands at the SRM console and power cycling the system.

John Speno sent a list of "DIGITAL UNIX Version 4.0D Fixes" which
was fairly long so I didn't include it here. If anyone would like
it I would be happy to forward it to you.

Martin Mokrejs suggested not even doing the upgrade until a Jumbo
patch for 4.0D is out.

John Marten provided the URL of the list archives search page.
        http://www-archive.ornl.gov:8000
The URL I had been trying was the higher level "Mailing List Archives"
which has a link to the search page.
        http://www.ornl.gov/its/archives/mailing-lists/
Both are working now so I don't know if I could have reached the search
page while the other page was unreachable.

> Last I heard, the KZPSA patch had been included in V4.0D.
> If you upgrade the KZPSA firmware you either want the
> patch for the version you're running or you want have
> V4.0D installed. The firmware updates fixes a data
> corruption problem when the KZPSA is under a heavy I/O
> load. I don't reliably recall which is worse, old
> firmware or new firmware and no patch. I suspect both
> are bad under heavy load.
>

>the archives are now at http://www-archive.ornl.gov:8000

> Yes, the A11 KZPSA fw fixes are included in the base
>release of v4.0D. There is now a patch kit available from
>Digital Customer Support for v4.0D, as well.
>
>Alan Davis

>Hello, we do run 4.0D. I did the upgrade more than a month ago. I wouldn't
>do that again. Wait untill the first Jumbo patch is out for 4.0D. if you
>remeber, the patch WAS out on the ftp site for few hours, and then
>disappeared (because of serius bugs). There's at least one big security
>hole in CDE (allows logins as root from remote...), another most probably
>in SIA module..... _serious_ AdvFS crashes......
>
>We can't/don't want to downgrade (too much work). I repartitioned the
>disks thus I deleted old AdvFS / filesystem and use old but safe! UFS on
>/. /tmp is on another UFS, optimized for small files..... After
>accidental powerdowns(user fault) the / filesystem is 0.02 % fragmented,
>fsck is fast and save.
>
>Use your mind! ;-)
>
>
>After the patch will be out, wait one week and watch for troubles on the
>list, and then upgrade.
>
>Martin

> I have been told by Digital Engineering that it has been
>incorporated. I am going through 66 upgrades to 4.0D, 11 of which are
>4.0B to 4.0D so I asked the same question.
>
>Good Luck,
>Norm Thomas



     _/_/_/ _/_/ _/ _/ Dan West - Systems Analyst
    _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ ManTech Environmental Technology, Inc.
   _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ R.S. Kerr Environmental Research Lab
  _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ e-mail: west.daniel_at_epamail.epa.gov
 _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ http://www.epa.gov/ada/kerrlab.html
_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/
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  ** Disclaimer: Text reflects my opinions, not ManTech's nor the EPA's.
**
Received on Mon Mar 23 1998 - 15:45:31 NZST

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