Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001 09:45:29 -0800 From: Micah Anderson <micah@indymedia.org> To: Chris Snell <chris@bikeworld.com> Cc: Micah Anderson <micah@indymedia.org>, "Salyzyn, Mark" <mark_salyzyn@adaptec.com>, 'Mike Smith' <msmith@freebsd.org>, noah <noah@indymedia.org>, freebsd-scsi@freebsd.org Subject: Re: update Message-ID: <20010105094529.P7852@riseup.net> In-Reply-To: <4.3.2.7.2.20010104184802.019766c8@shrubbery.satx.bikeworld.net>; from chris@bikeworld.com on Thu, Jan 04, 2001 at 06:51:06PM -0600 References: <50DB155AD0CED411988E009027D61DB31D8116@otcexc01.otc.adaptec.com> <50DB155AD0CED411988E009027D61DB31D8116@otcexc01.otc.adaptec.com> <20001226152519.X10704@riseup.net> <4.3.2.7.2.20010104184802.019766c8@shrubbery.satx.bikeworld.net>
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Chris, I would be interested in seeing your kernel config so I could comapre it to the one I made. When I tried the card in a different machine that machine had a totally different motherboard and BIOS. I have been finding that Debian does work, but it is sensitive. For example, if I try to boot from the RAID I get the same behavior, but if I boot from a separate IDE drive and just mount the raid partitions things are fine. I have a feeling that perhaps there is a RAID header at the beginning of the logicial volume that can be overwritten by a master boot record or a boot loader like Lilo, or Grub, or the FreeBSD loader...? Micah On Thu, 04 Jan 2001, Chris Snell wrote: > > Micah, > > Would it be of any help if I sent you the kernel config for our server that > has one of these cards in it? As I said earlier, it's been working great > for us. Also, when you tried this card in a different machine, did that > machine have the same motherboard and BIOS? You mentioned that Debian > works on your setup. Did you try installing it (Debian) and then hammering > on the disks or did you just verify that it installed? > > Chris > > At 03:25 PM 12/26/2000 -0800, Micah Anderson wrote: > >So I have tried pretty much everything, the alarm still goes off at the same > >time during boot up, at asr0: major=154. I am trying a last experiment > >today, if it doesn't work, I am sad to say that I am going to have to use > >Debian since it works fine there. I have had this server for over a month > >trying everything on the planet to get it to work, we need this server > >running in a bad way and although I want to go with FreeBSD we unfortunately > >are going to have to go with what works. > > > >Right now I am trying to recompile the kernel by pulling everything out of > >the config file, except what is needed. It seems as if the problem has to do > >with the FreeBSD scsi or asr driver. Because thats when things go, and if I > >can boot off the CD without this happening, then something is funky. > > > >I was called by Ida at Adaptec to follow up on the call that I originally > >placed, ID #2843, but I was given the wrong number to call her back. > > > >I've done practically everything in my power, besides getting a job at > >adaptec or delving into the FreeBSD driver code, neither of which I can do > >at this point. Do you guys have any other ideas, or suggestions where to go > >next? > > > >Just a reminder, this is an adaptec 3200s, using freebsd 4.2, 4 IBM 9 gig > >10,000 RPM LVD drives making up a Raid-5, using a nice Intel motherboard > >(which has another adaptec on board controller, but I've tried the card in a > >different machine with the drives, same results).... > > > >Micah > > > > > > > >On Mon, 18 Dec 2000, Salyzyn, Mark wrote: > > > > > Although I figure Adaptec's Tech Support would be the best to know about > > > generic issues with drive access, the possibilities for this issue > > could be: > > > > > > 1) No cable and/or drive cabinet domain validation, so one might have to > > > roll the SCSI speed down a bit to compensate for cable and/or drive > > > combination issues. > > > 2) Some drives are more comfortable with either over (more than just > > the two > > > endpoints) or under (only the last drive or controller) termination. > > > 3) Contact tech support for a later Firmware release, there may be known > > > issues with your drives, cabinets and/or drive combinations that might have > > > been addressed with either drive firmware, or controller firmware updates. > > > Currently the customer has better access to Technical Support than I do at > > > this moment :-( even though I virtually end up driving over top them each > > > morning as I head to the parking lot ... > > > > > > In any case, I will report this to the Firmware engineers to see if they > > > have any additional comments to add about this issue. > > > > > > Keep in mind that at initial negotiation, the speed is lower, the transfers > > > less stressful, than at operating system time. Edge issues may surface as a > > > result, sometimes appearing different from OS to OS. For instance, I > > believe > > > the ASR driver can request up to 58 (~4KB) scatter/gather elements in one > > > request, allowing up to 256 requests/device. NT's scsiport driver, on the > > > other hand, limits request to 64KB/each and only 16 requests/controller. > > > Stresses vary. > > > > > > However, OS issues do not typically affect drive failures, which is > > curious. > > > I have an issue that comes up in FreeBSD, for instance, with the array > > > performance in an impacted (read failures do not fail an array since data > > > can be reconstructed) state since the requests take much longer to fulfill > > > than in the genuine failed state. Impacted means every request still tries > > > to be fulfilled by first trying to talk to the not-yet failed component. > > > This has the catch-22 effect of not being able to mount the array head due > > > to the protracted responses on some failed drive scenarios before the > > > adapter has considered the component to be marked as failed. Pulling the > > > errant drive might be the only way. Later adapter Firmware may deal with > > > this through careful consideration of request response time. Tech support > > > may supply a select fail-on-read firmware/NVRAM, or one can chose to > > bump up > > > the timeout in the SCSI layer. This issue, for instance, does not occur > > > under Solaris because their SCSI layer is set to 2 minute timeouts. > > > > > > Sincerely -- Mark Salyzyn > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Mike Smith [mailto:msmith@freebsd.org] > > > Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 5:37 AM > > > To: Micah Anderson > > > Cc: noah; freebsd-scsi@freebsd.org; mark_salyzyn@adaptec.com > > > Subject: Re: update > > > > > > > > > > > > Mark; I miscopied you on my previous reply to this message, sorry about > > > that. Do you have any ideas? > > > > > > > On Sat, 16 Dec 2000, Mike Smith wrote: > > > > > > > > > > At "asr0: major=154" the raid card begins a high pitched beep > > > indicating > > > > > > that two of the drives have failed and that a rebuild of the raid is > > > > > > required, but we've tested all of the drives and replaced the raid > > > card > > > > > > with a new one, and still get the same problem. The reason I'm asking > > > > > > about possible software issues is that other OS's have worked on this > > > raid > > > > > > setup. > > > > > > > > > > I've copied Mark at Adaptec, who is the author and principle > > maintainer > > > > > of the 'asr' driver, since he's going to have the best idea of what's > > > > > actually going on here. Without saying which OS' you've used, it's > > > tough > > > > > to know whether they simply aren't enabling the card alarm though. > > > > > > > > We have gone through exhaustive troubleshooting lengths to try to > > > determine > > > > what the problem is. I have swapped RAID cards, swapped cables, tried a > > > > different motherboard, different powersupply in every possible > > combination > > > > of configuration. Each time I have to start from the beginning, > > destroying > > > > the RAID configuration and then creating a new one, which takes over an > > > > hour, so this process has taken literally three weeks to try all the > > > > potential configurations. > > > > > > > > The RAID alarm goes off on the card during the FreeBSD boot process, the > > > OS > > > > continues to boot, but the alarm continues. Rebooting and going into the > > > > Adaptec setup tells us that a drive has failed, it is not the same drive > > > > every time. During bootup after the RAID POST when the SMOR utility is > > > > loading it will usually show the RAID-5 drive as well as the single > > drive. > > > > It is almost as if one of the drives of the RAID is pushed out of the > > > RAID. > > > > Individually, each drive works fine. If I install FreeBSD on a single > > > drive, > > > > without a RAID constructed things act as normal. These are IBM 10k RPM > > > LVD > > > > drives and I ran IBM's drive test utility on each one of them and it came > > > > back with no errors. > > > > > > > > I have been able to install Debian Linux and use the card/drives without > > > > this problem. I have called Adaptec to ask them about this and was > > told to > > > > try changing the drive speed from Ultra 3 to Ultra as well as change the > > > > delay from the default to 30 seconds, all of these do not change the > > > > behavior whatsoever. > > > > > > > > I have spoken with one other person who had a similar type of problem, > > > > except what was happening to him was he was loading some DOS drivers, one > > > of > > > > which would wipe the RAID card configuration when it was loaded (ASAPI? I > > > > can't recall right now)... I am wondering if there are some other drivers > > > > that are being probed in the generic FreeBSD kernel that are doing a > > > similar > > > > thing to the config. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Have you tried running the Adaptec management software to check the > > > > > status of the card? > > > > > > > > In FreeBSD? If there is such a thing it would be interesting to know > > where > > > > one could get it. The CD that was included with the card has no FreeBSD > > > > anything on it - the website has no FreeBSD information or downloads > > on it > > > > (except for the breif mention that it is supported, but if you call for > > > > support you can't get it). Or are you talking about the SMOR utility that > > > > you can access from the BIOS? > > > > > > > > Thanks for any help that you can offer. > > > > > > > > Micah > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks. > > > > > > > > > > > > On 12/15, Mike Smith wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, I'm working on trying to install FreeBSD 4.2 on a dual p3 700 > > > with > > > > > > > > an Adaptec 3200S raid card. From what I can tell everyone > > that has > > > tried > > > > > > > > this card has had good luck. When we install FreeBSD (booting off > > > cd) it > > > > > > > > recognizes the card and installs on it perfectly, but when it > > > loads the OS > > > > > > > > off the raid it does something to damage the hardware raid, > > > requiring us > > > > > > > > to rebuild the RAID in the 3200S' bios. We're pretty sure that > > > this isn't > > > > > > > > a hardware problem. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You haven't actually included anything that suggests that > > there's a > > > > > > > problem occurring, so it's somewhat difficult to guess what's going > > > on. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > However, I don't lend much credibility to the suggestion that > > > "FreeBSD > > > > > > > does something to damage the hadware raid" - things just don't > > > happen > > > > > > > like that. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I would be inclined to suspect that you probably have a suspect > > > disk, or > > > > > > > cabling/enclosure problems, but without more details it's hard > > to be > > > sure. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > ... every activity meets with opposition, everyone who acts has his > > > > > > > rivals and unfortunately opponents also. But not because people > > > want > > > > > > > to be opponents, rather because the tasks and relationships force > > > > > > > people to take different points of view. [Dr. Fritz Todt] > > > > > > > V I C T O R Y N O T V E N G E A N C E > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > noah .. email for pgp/gpg key > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > ... every activity meets with opposition, everyone who acts has his > > > > > rivals and unfortunately opponents also. But not because people want > > > > > to be opponents, rather because the tasks and relationships force > > > > > people to take different points of view. [Dr. Fritz Todt] > > > > > V I C T O R Y N O T V E N G E A N C E > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > ... every activity meets with opposition, everyone who acts has his > > > rivals and unfortunately opponents also. But not because people want > > > to be opponents, rather because the tasks and relationships force > > > people to take different points of view. [Dr. Fritz Todt] > > > V I C T O R Y N O T V E N G E A N C E > > > > > > > > >To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > >with "unsubscribe freebsd-scsi" in the body of the message > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-scsi" in the body of the message
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