SCSI conflict

[whhill]

I have several refurbished Alpha DS10 workstations used as operator consoles. The workstations will boot fine (OpenVMS) until an external computer interface (SCSI connection, PKA0) is connected. After that the DS10 cannot find the hard drive (DKA0) to boot from. The same hard drive and work in a DS10 already setup and in use. Anyone have an idea what I need to change?

[Bob Blunt]

Can you access the console prompt for the systems in question?  Please post the output from the following by attaching a PC or other system's terminal port to the console:

SHOW DEVICE

SHOW CONFIG

If you're just attaching a random SCSI disk or tape to the external SCSI connector you'll need to consult your external unit's owners manual and change it's SCSI ID setting from (what is probably the default) zero ID setting to something unique.  Typically most Alpha SCSI interfaces have a console controllable ID setting for the SCSI adapter (or HBA, initiator, whatever) so that should probably be set to seven or six.  At the console prompt you can show those details with a command like

SHOW PK*

Some of the Alpha systems determine SCSI IDs differently from OpenVMS so what you see at the console prompt might not match what VMS calls the devices.  So it would be best to check before and after adding your external unit.  Do a SHOW DEVICE and SHOW CONFIG, power off, add your external, power on the external, power on the system and repeat the SHOW DEVICE and SHOW CONFIG.  Post the results.

bob