HP Surestore DAT 40 on HPUX 11.0

[John Baker_2]

Trying to connect a HP Surestore Dat 40 C5687A to a HP K460 and we are having lots of problems. We have been on the phone with HP Software support for over a month and still do not have this resolved.

Here is the results of an ioscan -fH 10/4

ext_bus 6 10/4/12 scsi1 CLAIMED INTERFACE HP 28655A - SE SCSI ID=7
target 8 10/4/12.1 target CLAIMED DEVICE
tape 1 10/4/12.1.0 tape2 CLAIMED DEVICE HP C5683A

The device is there and claimed. When I try to do an fbackup or tar the computer comes back with an I/O error immediatly without ever getting to the tape drive.

We had our hardware support come it and he fully tested the tape drive and everthing worked perfectly.

What do I need to do to get the DDS4 working on my K-460?

[Stefan Farrelly]

2 things to try;

1. Can you successfuly tar something to the drive+tape and tar it back off again ? If so good - the drive is working. If not the drive is faulty or not supported on HP-UX.

2. If tar works aok but fbackup doesnt then its a firmware issue on the DDS4 drive. Fbackup talks at a lower level than tar to the firmware on the drive - and for it to work you must have compatible firmware and the drive must be supported on HP-UX. Or it could possible be a patch issue with the tape2 drive or the fbackup command - do you have the latest HP-UX patches for them ?

[Cheryl Griffin]

What information are you getting from those you are in contact with? Has someone talked to you about compatibility of the C5687A with K460?

According to this matrix, the C5687A which is a DAT40e is compatible only with a handful of s800 machines, none of which include the K460:
http://www.hp.com/products1/storage/compatibility/hardware/dat-hp/index.html

Cheryl Griffin

[Vincent Farrugia]

Hello,

Is the drive the only one in the SCSI chain? Make sure that it is!

Also, since you connected it with a SE HBA, make sure the bus length does not exceed 6m.

HTH,
Vince

[Vincent Farrugia]

Technically speaking, DDS4 is the happiest on LVD, not SE. It's the only DDS drive happy on LVD (the others work on SE).

It WILL work on SE, but you won't use the most out of your drive.

http://h200005.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/lpg28876/lpg28876.pdf

I dunno whether it can work on a 28655 actually, since at that time there was no LVD, only HVD.

Just a thought.

[John Baker_2]

To answer some of the reply's

1. The cable is 2M or about 80" in length.

2. The drive is the only device on the scsi chain.

3. I cannot do an tar as I get an I/O error immediatly so it looks like a software problem.

4. Our hardware engineer used mstm to test the tape drive and was able to read/write and verify everything written to the tape drive.

[Vincent Farrugia]

Hello,

Then it's a SW issue. Did you try using raw dd on the tape by any chance?

Vince

[Vincent Farrugia]

Also, try to get an older DDS drive (DDS3 or older) and try to attach that. If it works, then the DDS4 is not happy with the 28655 and you have to replace the HBA. If it does not work, then it's something else.

At least we elminate the possibility of the DDS4 not being happy on SE.

Just (yet another) thought,
Vince

[John Baker_2]

Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
======================================================================
tape 1 10/4/12.1.0 tape2 CLAIMED DEVICE HP C5683A
/dev/diag/rmt/c6t1d0 /dev/rmt/c6t1d0BEST
/dev/rmt/1m /dev/rmt/c6t1d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/1mb /dev/rmt/c6t1d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/1mn /dev/rmt/c6t1d0BESTnb
/dev/rmt/1mnb
tape 0 10/12/5.0.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP C1533A
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/c4t0d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/c4t0d0BESTnb
/dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/c4t0d0DDS
/dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/c4t0d0DDSb
/dev/rmt/c4t0d0BEST /dev/rmt/c4t0d0DDSn
/dev/rmt/c4t0d0BESTb /dev/rmt/c4t0d0DDSnb

Results from the 'dd'
dd if=/etc/hosts of=/dev/rmt/1m
/dev/rmt/1m: I/O error
dd: cannot create /dev/rmt/1m

Please notice in the I/O Scan that there are DDS drivers for the internal tape drive but not the external drive.

[Cheryl Griffin]

Make sure that you have the right patches. (This list includes dependencies.)
PHCO_23651 fsck_vxfs(1M) cumulative patch
PHCO_23876 cumulative SAM/ObAM patch
PHKL_18543 PM/VM/UFS/async/scsi/io/DMAPI/JFS/perf patch
PHKL_20016 2nd CPU not recognized in G70/H70/I70
PHKL_24027 VxFS 3.1 cumulative patch
PHKL_25475 PM cumulative patch
PHKL_25525 Probe,IDDS,PM,VM,PA-8700,asyncio,T600,FS
PHKL_27303 SCSI Tape (stape) cumulative

And make sure that the check_patches runs clean. This will uncover any problems for instance if PHKL_18543 was reinstalled incorrectly which could cause SCSI I/O problems.
# check_patches

Cheryl

[John Baker_2]

Cheryl,

Yes, all of the patches that you listed were installed. BUT we do have a question if 18543 was installed correctly, we think it was not. If the patch was not installed correctly (meaning reinstall=true) how do I fix the problem?

[Cheryl Griffin]

John,
That is where check_patches will help. If it was reinstalled incorrectly, check_patches will tell you all dependency problems. Once you fix what is listed from check_patches, then it should be fine.

Cheryl

[John Baker_2]

Cheryl,

The check patches comes back with one 'warning' which says 'PHKL_21262 is missing patch fileset CORE-KRN' and
'PHKL_21262 is missing patch fileset KERN2-RUN'

John

[Vincent Farrugia]

Hello,

You can download it from here:

http://support4.itrc.hp.com/service/patch/patchDetail.do?patchid=PHKL_21262&context=hpux:800:11:00

Read the text. You have to install PHKL_20152 as well when installing this patch. Click on the link provided on the website given.

Also note that this patch reboots the server in order to be installed...

Vince

[John Baker_2]

We were told that patch PHKL_21262 was for 64bit computers. We are currently running HPUX 11.0 in 32bit mode.

We have downloaded the patch and its dependencies and installed it, but it did not correct the problem.

[Cheryl Griffin · Accepted solution]

Don't get sidetracked: PHKL_21262 (s700_800 11.00 SuperIO floppy driver fix) is for a different issue that check_patches found.

For the record, it contains filesets for both 32 and 64 systems according to the patch text:
ProgSupport.C-INC,fr=B.11.00,fa=HP-UX_B.11.00_32/64 <---- 32 & 64 Bit

OS-Core.CORE2-KRN,fr=B.11.00,fa=HP-UX_B.11.00_64 <---- 64 Bit

OS-Core.KERN2-RUN,fr=B.11.00,fa=HP-UX_B.11.00_64 <---- 64 Bit

[Vincent Farrugia]

Hello,

Do you have another tape drive handy? Try to attach another tape drive and see what happens.

Try another DDS4 drive and a lower-spec drive (DDS3 or lower).

If you have handy, of course :-)

HTH,
Vince

[John Baker_2]

I have an external C1559A which gives me the same problems on this machine and also has a autoloader.

[Cheryl Griffin]

Houston, we have a problem....

What scsi cable are you using? Specifically tell me the pin count on each end. According to the doc I found, you may need a C2979B cable which is a 64 to 64 pin cable, vs a 50 to 64 pin cable.

Please note that I am not a HW person (but I have been known to impersonate one at work.) Have you run this by the HW CE?
Cheryl

[John Baker_2]

We are using a 50 to 64 pin cable. Our 28655-60001 PB-SE-SCSI Adapter has a 50 pin connector and our C5687A has a 64 pin connector. Also we are running the correct terminator it is 'SE' (at least that is what the HW person said)

[John Baker_2]

Correction - the cable is a 50 to 68 pin.

[Mark Landin]

Hmm.. Regardless of what the HP hardware testing showed, I would do the following:

1. Test with a different SCSI cable
2. Test with a different terminator
3. Test the device on another SCSI channel (the K460 has a built-in SE SCSI, doesn't it?)

The DAT40e is definitely supported on HP-UX 11.

If all else fails, have HP bring you out another 40e.

Do you know which driver the 40e requires? If it's not in the kernel, you can certainly load it thru SAM.

[John Baker_2]

1. Test with a different SCSI cable - Answer, Tried that - same results
2. Test with a different terminator - Answer, Tried that also - same results
3. Test the device on another SCSI channel (the K460 has a built-in SE SCSI, doesn't it?) - Answer, Yes it has a built in SE SCSI, I was told, did not try to install the tape drive as in internal device.

Do you know which driver the 40e requires? If it's not in the kernel, you can certainly load it thru SAM. - Answer, I went into SAM and let it install all drivers for tape devices.

I also tried a different tape drive that the CE brought with him as well as a new SCSI card and cable - Same results.

[Gregory Fruth]

The driver looks a little funny, but perhaps it's right for
11.x on s800 machines. On 10.20 on a s700, the driver
for the SureStore DAT 40e DDS-4 (C5683A) is "stape",
just like it is for other DDS drives.

Also, am I to understand that the bus you're attaching
it to is SCSI-1 (Slow + Narrow + Single Ended)?
Your DDS-4 drive is most likely Ultra2 + Wide + LVD
or somesuch. It should be able to switch down on
speed (Ultra2 -> Slow) and signalling (LVD -> SE),
but I believe that connecting a Wide device to a Narrow
bus is not trivial, i.e. I think you need some kind of active
adapter gizmo. You'd probably be better off getting
an HBA to match the SCSI type of your drive.

Good luck!

[Gregory Fruth]

The SCSI FAQ says:

(http://scsifaq.org:9080/scsi_faq/scsifaq.html#_Hlk410547903)

QUESTION: Can I connect a WIDE device to my narrow SCSI host adapter?

Yes, you just need an appropriate adapter. Most WIDE devices use the 68 pin "P" connector so you need a 68 pin to 50 pin adapter. You do need
to make sure that both the upper byte and lower byte of the bus will be properly terminated though. Some adapters provide Hi-9 terminators,
others do not. If the wiring adapter is placed right at the SCSI host adapter, you can usually configure the host adapter's on-board terminators
to only terminate the high byte. You need to be clear on what type of connectors are present where you want to do the conversion. You also
need to plan your bus so that there won't be any narrow cable between any of the WIDE devices.
Certain host adapters with auto-termination make the assumption that when the low byte is terminated the high byte is also. When using
WIDE/narrow adapters this assumption is not valid. Another purpose served by the hi-9 terminator is supplying pull-up current to the upper
data lines which would otherwise be left floating.

Special note for LVD drives:

It is recommended that if you connect a WIDE LVD drive to a narrow bus that you use a 68 to 50 pin adapter which has high byte termination. It may
seem that the termination wouldn't be needed in this case because the bus is narrow. However, the drive needs to have those signals "pulled up"
(logically negated), to avoid the floating signals from confusing it.

If for some reason you attach a WIDE device to a WIDE host adapter using a narrow cable, you must be sure to disable WIDE negotiation in
the host adapter BIOS or the device will hang when it is accessed.

One further caveat is that if narrow devices are attached to a WIDE adapter, the adapter's ID must be between 0 and 7 because narrow devices
would not be able to see it if the ID was any higher than 7.