*BSD News Article 7384


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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Path: sserve!manuel.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!uunet!think.com!ames!agate!tfs.com!tfs.com!julian
From: julian@tfs.com (Julian Elischer)
Subject: Re: Input/Output Errors (with Julian's SCSI drivers)
Message-ID: <1992Nov4.021808.6027@tfs.com>
Organization: TRW Financial Systems
References: <49224@shamash.cdc.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1992 02:18:08 GMT
Lines: 32

In article <49224@shamash.cdc.com> pbd@runyon.cim.cdc.com (Paul Dokas) writes:
>I'm having mysterious problems with my hard drives.  About once every day or
>so, my machine starts giving the message "Input/Output Error" when ever I try
>to read/write to disk.  This error is also usually accompanied with "sdX: Unit
>attention" errors (where X is either 0 or 1).  The net result of these errors
>is that I have to hit the reset button :-(  So far, I've been lucky and haven't
>had any catastrophic disk failures, but I'm afraid that it will eventually
>happen.
>
>My machine is a 386-40, 1542B, with CDC wren IV (330MB) internal and an
>IMPRIMIS 1.0GB external.  I also have an Archive VP 150e tape drive.
>BTW, I'm using Julian's SCSI driver (3rd alpha release).
>-- 

This is a new one..
the unit attention error message indicates that the scsi device has
either been reset or has had a powerdown.
It is possible that you have:
1/ a flakey power supply or cable
2/ a suspect controller
3/ a suspect scsi cable. (check for frayed copper on the ends)

This state is initiated by the drive. If you
get it on two drives then I suggest that some thing is 
suspect with the power. (what else is common?)
(the board driver has code to reset the device,
but he disk driver does not call it)

julian