DDS-4 corrupting my system?

[Bruce Baillie]

I just started using a DDS-4 drive on my C3000 with HP-UX 11.00 and I am getting errors on boot and now the system won't even start. Am I missing a patch?

[Eugeny Brychkov]

Bruce,
is it internal or external? You should connect tape drive to LVD SCSI bus or NSE SCSI bus, available from the rear. But remember: LVD bus has internal disks on it, so there should be NO SCSI Id conflicts on the bus.
So please check SCSI Ids your internal disks have and set DDS drive to another one.
Please note that if there's nothing connected to the workstation's rear there should be terminators in both NSE and LVD connectors
Eugeny

[Bruce Baillie]

Eugeny, the drive is LVD SCSI external ID is set to 3 and I have one internal disk set to 6. Maybe I am doing something wrong. Can I remove the terminator and connect the drive while the system is running?

[Eugeny Brychkov]

No, you should not do it otherwise system may crash (remember: this SCSI channel is where root disks are connected).
You should check:
1. LVD cable you connect device with (replace with another known good);
2. terminator at the device (DDS) side (remember: SCSI bus should be terminated from both ends - in your case with LVD/SE terminaotr, not HVD);
3. drive may have problems - try connecting it to another workstation to check if it's functional
Eugeny

[Kent Ostby]

The latest patch for SCSI tape is PHKL_28216.

What system type are you using ?

There are firmware patches for the N4000 (PHSS_26533) and L1000 (PHSS_25684) and L1500 (PHSS_27466) which relate to running a DDS-4 off of a A5149A SCSI Card in LVD mode.

No notes on what the syptoms would be without the firmware.

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi,
If yuo have a 50->68 pin SCSI cable you can try to connect the drive to the NSE SCSI bus (I suppose there is one on the C3000). It is perhaps less risk for problems if you don't mix tape and disk devices on the same bus.

[Bruce Baillie]

Thanks to all that replied. I got so used to using the external 50 pin SCSI connector for tape and CDROM drives while the system was running, I didn't give it any thought that I was using the SCSI that the disk was on. I should have known better. I actually corrupted the file system. DEAD... I want to use the 68 pin SCSI because it is 8 times faster than the 50 pin, I just have to remember to power down when pluging and un-pluging the tape drive.

[Eugeny Brychkov · Accepted solution]

Bruce,
do you read posts? I said two times that disks are on the same U2 LVD bus, and you should not connect drive online because you'll need to disconnect terminator from the back and bus will be unterminated then leading to system crash.
U2 LVD has 68-pin HDTS connector, NSE has 50-pin HDTS. You may connect DDS4 to 68-pin (because it's LVD) or to NSE (50-68 adapter cable needed). But the best is to install addon LVD adapter and connect drive to it this way separating disks and tape.
Do you see DEAD on the LCD screen? Any other codes there?
Eugeny

[Bruce Baillie]

Eugeny,
Yes, I did read and understand all posts and you explained what I am doing wrong. Good thing I am testing with my own workstation and not one of our servers....
Bruce