Sequent Symmetry S5000

[lj]

Hi,

I have a Sequent Symmetry S5000 that has been running quite happily
for some years until a recent re-boot. Since then it has reported SCSI
errors (when booting host) that imply either a firmware configuration
or hardware problem. I suspect the former because it is reporting
problems with LUNs that I do not have. Also I see no errors from any
of the boot or manually executed diagnostics. Anyway, I have run out
of ideas and was looking for some help.

So, does anybody who watches the news group now of a maintenance
company based in the south of England who still retains some Sequent
(and Dynix/PTX) knowledge (and maybe spare parts) who would be willing
to visit me (on a time and materials basis) and help solve this
problem.

Thanks for reading.

Ell.

[Ben Jackson]

In article <5f559ddb.0310...@posting.google.com>,

lj <ell...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>I have a Sequent Symmetry S5000 that has been running quite happily
>for some years until a recent re-boot. Since then it has reported SCSI
>errors (when booting host) that imply either a firmware configuration
>or hardware problem.

Can you post the errors?

--
Ben Jackson
<b...@ben.com>
http://www.ben.com/

[lj]

Ben,

Thanks for your interest.

In summary, we found it necessary to do some work with PTX 4.4.8 and
accordingly I went through the process of loading this release onto
the second disk drive (4.4.2 was loaded on the 1st drive). However,
when I attempted to re-boot I was unable to 'boot host' CPUs due to
SCSI 'WARNINGS'. Thinking that these were cause by a mistake in the OS
load I tried to boot from the distribution CD. But saw similar
messages when entering the 'bh' command. The sort of messages that I
see are something like (I qualify this because I may have
mis-transcribed something):

WARNING: +qcic0 (at slic 2): controller timeout on SCSI channel 0
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 4, LUN 1: adapter status 0xc
(controler error)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 4, LUN 1: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 4, LUN 2: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 4, LUN 3: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 4, LUN 4: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 4, LUN 5: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 4, LUN 6: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 4, LUN 7: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 5, LUN 1: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 5, LUN 2: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 5, LUN 3: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 5, LUN 4: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 5, LUN 5: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 5, LUN 6: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 5, LUN 7: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 7, LUN 1: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 7, LUN 2: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 7, LUN 3: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 7, LUN 4: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 7, LUN 5: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 7, LUN 6: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 7, LUN 7: adapter status 0xb
(I/O timeout)
WARNING: sd (unit 128 on +scsibus0): drive not ready (5)
WARNING: +cd0: Unit Not Responding om SPECIAL (adapter timeout)
WARNING: +cd0 Soft Error on SPECIAL (Adapter Timeout)
WARNING: +cd0: Unit Not Responding om SPECIAL (adapter timeout)
WARNING: +cd0 Soft Error on SPECIAL (Adapter Timeout)
WARNING: +cd0: Unit Not Responding om SPECIAL (adapter timeout)
WARNING: +cd0 Soft Error on SPECIAL (Adapter Timeout)
WARNING: +cd0: SCSI inquiry failed
--->

And I see the secondary boot (CSM?) prompt.

Any input is appreciated.

Ell

b...@ben.com (Ben Jackson) wrote in message news:<1Uelb.834883$YN5.925353@sccrnsc01>...

[Ben Jackson]

In article <5f559ddb.03102...@posting.google.com>,

lj <ell...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>WARNING: +qcic0 (at slic 2): controller timeout on SCSI channel 0
>WARNING: +scsibus0: probe of target ID 4, LUN 1: adapter status 0xc

Well, the boot pbay would be what's on the CSM's scsi port, which is
why the bus problems are preventing you from booting.

Here's what I'd try:

1) hw diags on the csm (I think you said it passed those)

2) back out the disks that are involved in the probe timeouts (what
was it, 4, 5, 6 and 7? though 7 is a bad sign because I think the csm
should be defaulting to being 7 itself, but my memory is fuzzy) and
see if it still happens. if so, put them back one at a time until you
find the problem disk

3) swap the cable out for a known good cable (between the csm and the
pbay).

4) swap the whole pbay out for a known good pbay. Assuming you have
another working system you could temporarily cross-cable them so that
your problem system was booting from the other disks.

[lj]

I did all sorts of things and eventually convinced myself that the
hardware was not at fault after all. The 'real' problem (I believe)
was that the firmware on the CSM was not updated (something that is
necessary but not obvious to me). And running fprog appears to have
solved this particular problem.

Thanks for your assistance.

Ell

b...@ben.com (Ben Jackson) wrote in message news:<SDAlb.260$ao4.1193@attbi_s51>...

[lj]

Unfortunately, one of the things that I did in my attempts to resolve
this was to install the OS from 'scratch'. Not a big deal I thought.
But I now find that I do not have X installed and need a key to
install NFS. And I do not appear to have the X package and have no
record of an NFS key.

Unfortunately, the original OS install was done some time ago so I
cannot even speak to the person who did it and find out what they did.
So, I thought I'd ask here.

Try as I can I cannot find any X software on any of the PTX
distribution CDs. Can somebody let me know where I might find the this
software (which CD/package, or is it online somewhere)? I have PTX
4.4.8 installed.

Thanks in advance.

Ell

ell...@hotmail.com (lj) wrote in message news:<5f559ddb.03102...@posting.google.com>...

[lj]

Forget this most recent request for help. The X windows package is called PTX/XWM.

Ell.

ell...@hotmail.com (lj) wrote in message news:<5f559ddb.03103...@posting.google.com>...

[Jon Anon]

this isn't by anychance at OGI in Oregon, is it?

[lj]

I am afraid not. It is on the side of the Atlantic.

Ell

Jon Anon <n...@given.net> wrote in message news:<cnhub.3412$m84.2...@news1.news.adelphia.net>...