Subject: Re: Future hardware concerns
To: None <grefen@convex.com>
From: Justin T. Gibbs <gibbs@freefall.freebsd.org>
List: port-i386
Date: 05/21/1996 13:00:11
>In message <199605201809.LAA15551@toccata.fugue.com>  Ted Lemon wrote:
>
>> 
>> It's been several months since I took out the AHA-2940 controller, and
>> I don't remember the exact message, but my recollection is that it was
>> a timeout talking to the controller, not a bug running out of SCBs
>> (unless that manifests itself as a timeout).
>
>There is a bug in timeout handling (easiely fixed by increasing the timeouts),
>which produces this error when your drive has read-errors and retrys or
>repairing the data (using the ECC code on the disk) takes too long.
>I had the same problems with a sequest-drive and a bad media.
>I don't know if the timeot handling is fixed in newer releases.
>If I remember correct, the unexpected reconnect from the drive after the timeo
>ut
>kills the system.
>
>I would start worrying about the data on the disk if I were you ...

There were bugs in the timeout handling in the aic7xxx driver and there
were also timing bugs that caused timeouts to occur that shouldn't have.
Most likely the problem was from a bug, not failing media especially
if there was success in using another controller with that drive.

>
>Stefan
>
>> 
>> 			       _MelloN_
>
>--
>Stefan Grefen                          Convex Computer GmbH, Frankfurt, German
>y
>grefen@convex.com		       Phone: +49-69-665270
>"Anything that can go wrong will. It's more fun that way"
> -- Sayings of Murphitus, ancient Husaquahrian philosopher
>   (Jack L. Chalker "Vengeance of the Dancing Gods")

--
Justin T. Gibbs
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