From: jackson@pravda.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Need: help with RZ23 disk drives
Date: 9 Apr 92 11:58:38 GMT
Reply-To: jackson@pravda.enet.dec.com ()
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation



In article <sysrick.702745800@starbase.spd.louisville.edu> you write:
|>
|>
|> am attempting to use some DEC RZ23 disk drives with a system from "another
|>vendor". I'm having problems which I believe to be related to the fact that
|>the drives don't spin up on power-up - they wait for a start-drive command
|>on the SCSI bus, and my other system is, I guess, not doing that.
|>
|>Any ideas on how I can get these drives (I have 7 of them currently unused)
|>to spin up on power on? And yes, I know the reason for not doing this...
|>

DEC chose to have the disks spin up when a SCSI command is issued to 
allow us to put more disks in the systems without making huge power supplies 
to take the initial surge, which of course would be overkill the rest of the
time the system was running.  This allows us to sequence the disks 
up when we like.

The disks can be made to work on other systems and spin up on power-up.  It
requires changing some bits in a device configuration table on the disk.  

there are several ways to do this, depending on what kind of system you
have.  Here's how to do it on a VAXstation 3100 Model 38, Model 40 or Model 48
(this won't work on the VS3100 Model 30 cause it doesn't have the dual SCSI 
controller)  I have no idea how to get one of the "spoons" listed below.
(There's also a way to do this on a DECstation)
   
    If you've got a VS3100 with the SCSI-SCSI storage option, there's a
    sneaky trick in the ROMs that'll let you change the DSP (disable spinup
    at power-on) bit.  You need one of those MMJ loopback connectors that
    look like a red spoon;  that gets you into "field service" mode where
    you get to do dangerous things.

    Put the spoon in, and power on the unit.  At the console prompt, type
    "T 73" to start the Tape Key Utility.  Don't worry about the name,
    'cause it's only the magic inside this code we want to get.  Answer the
    questions about which port and which ID the drive is set for.  I can't
    remember whether the code allows you to specify a LUN (logical unit),
    but if the question comes up, answer that one too.  When the "RUsure"
    question comes up, answer "41000001" -- this is part of the strong magic
    I alluded to before.

    The code will do a MODE SENSE, then turn around and issue a MODE SELECT
    with the DSP bit clear.  Ultimately, the code will report an error, but
    don't worry:  it's complaining that the device isn't a tape (remember
    this used to be a tape key utility?).

    Take out the spoon and cycle power again to get out of field service
    mode.  No sense aggravating the gods by leaving too many privileges on.

    That should do it.  The drive should spin up at power on now.

    If you want to get things back the way they were, perform all the above
    steps but answer "42000001" to "RUsure."  That'll set the DSP bit.

You can do the same thing with some of the Macintosh SCSI tools and there's
probably some PC tools  to do this also.  



|>Also, has anyone else out there had a problem with these drives becoming
|>*noisy*, like they have a bearing going bad in them? I talked to a DEC engineer
|>in their storage systems group last year and she said she hadn't heard of this
|>happening, except for an early batch of drives. I must have them all, because
|>I have 4 or 5 (out of 17) which make more noise than they should.
|>

This was a problem with older drives, but our vendor (Connor) has said that
this has been fixed.    If they're under contract, call Field Service and
have them replaced.  If not, from what I understand, they have to get REAL
noisy before you're in danger of the drive going south and losing what's on
it.

--


William M. Jackson
Workstation Product Marketing Manager
Workstation Engineering
Digital Equipment Corporation
146 Main Street
Maynard, MA 01754

Mail:	Jackson@pravda.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms