Newsgroup: it.comp.hardware.scsi
Titolo: ULTRASTAR ----> NOISE problems ----> design PROBLEM

Hi,
I noticed the recent discussions in these newsgroups about the IDLE noise of
ULTRASTAR (DDYS) SCSI drives. That is:
1 to 2 second load scratching noise after EXACTLY 10 minutes of  idleness
(no read/write or other SCSI commands).
According to IBM technical documentation the disk performs a PFA (Predictive
Failure Analysis or S.M.A.R.T) test every 10 minutes of idleness. This
feature can not be disabled!!
However the noise of this selftest  is MUCH TOO load to be normal and
healty!! And irritating
I had 4 of these drives all of them with this behaviour. Even the IBM
replacements (new) do the same thing.
In these newsgroups I saw at least 6 other people having this problems (all
over the world and different types18 Gb/36Gb.)
I have spend numerious phonecalls with IBM support, however..........the
know nothing.
This is going to look like a STRUCTURAL   FIRMWARE PROBLEM!!!
Anyone can backup our experiences???
Oscar

...


 wrote in message
news:eWar6.7112$Vg3.5...@bgtnsc06-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...


 wrote in message news:98j6c6$fs6$1...@buty.wanadoo.nl...
: Hi,
: 
: I noticed the recent discussions in these newsgroups about the IDLE noise of
: ULTRASTAR (DDYS) SCSI drives. That is:
: 
: 1 to 2 second loud scratching noise after EXACTLY 10 minutes of  idleness
: (no read/write or other SCSI commands).
: 
: According to IBM technical documentation the disk performs a PFA (Predictive
: Failure Analysis or S.M.A.R.T) test every 10 minutes of idleness. This
: feature can not be disabled!!
Yes it can according to the manual.
: 
: However the noise of this selftest  is MUCH TOO loud to be normal and
: healthy!! And irritating.
: 
: I had 4 of these drives all of them with this behaviour. Even the IBM
: replacements (new) do the same thing.
: In these newsgroups I saw at least 6 other people having this problems (all
: over the world and different types18 Gb/36Gb.)
: 
: I have spend numerous phonecalls with IBM support, however..........they
: know nothing.
: 
: This is going to look like a STRUCTURAL   FIRMWARE PROBLEM!!!
: 
: Anyone can backup our experiences???
Who's experience? 
: 
: Oscar
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

I don't recall who sent them to me, but it could have been you, Randy.
Well, I have a similar drive (DDYS-T18350N) too, and have wondered the 
cause for the noise. It's sounds just the same as in 36lzx.wav from the 
above url, but I have never thought it as unhealthy or faulty. 
If IBM says it's a test then why not believe it's a test? The fact it 
happens at exact times gives a clue that it's not a fault but a feature.
And it's not that loud either (well in my case at least). If I hadn't got 
part of my systems front panel open I guess I couldn't hear that noise.
Just my opinion.
-- 
Esa Tikka                     reply address for non-spammers
LTKK/ti4                         esa dot tikka at lut dot fi
Vote against spam in EU @ 
http://www.politik-digital.de/spam

: According to IBM technical documentation the disk performs a PFA
(Predictive
: Failure Analysis or S.M.A.R.T) test every 10 minutes of idleness. This
: feature can not be disabled!!
Yes it can according to the manual.
 -!!
Which manual?
How can it be disabled?
--
M.Schurz, M.D., (the guy, who started this rumour)
  Ried im Innkreis, Austria, Europe.
        (48°13'N 13°30'E)
--=00=--

How can it be disabled?
The 250-page Hard drive specification manual. I have the June  2000
version for the DDYS family, and the pub # is S31L-8989-05.
There are many configurable parameters including:
PERF bit:  Still runs the test, but the test is a near-zero impact
test, not as thorough, but nearly zero overhead. Some of the others
are INTERVAL TIMER, REPORT COUNT, ERROR LOGGING.
Several tools on the web. IBM has one for free, and of course there is
SMARTMon which is $20.00 shareware, which is what I wrote
http://www.santools.com

 wrote in message
news:bcqtatghv19a8qg0c...@4ax.com...



Those fields are changeable, just not with the firmware you are
running on your drive.  Perhaps another FW release is out there with
the changeable bits for those fields set on mode page 1C.
Other IBMUltrastar models support changing those fields.  I would go
back to IBM and see if another firmware release is available which
allows you to disable those fields.  Maybe you have an OEM disk that
was flashed with special code.
David

 wrote:
: 
: >Nop David,
: >
: >It can NOT be disabled!!
: >
: >You know that we both went through the documentation and I tested all
: >possible options and parameters using several tools including SmartMon.
: >
: >The selftest and internal logging in the drive can NOT be turned off!
: >What CAN be turned off (or changed) by tools like SmartMon is the way and/or
: >the interval of reporting execeptions and errors from the drive to the host.
: >
: >Our final conclusion was that :  I'm screwed!
: >
: >
: 
: Those fields are changeable, just not with the firmware you are
: running on your drive.  
If those fields are 'not changeable' on his drive then SMARTMon should 
issue an error when it nonetheless tries to change them. On the other 
hand it should not even offer to change them at all in that case.
: Perhaps another FW release is out there with
: the changeable bits for those fields set on mode page 1C.
According to the manual they are changeable, they just have no effect.
What that means to whether the bits will hold is another matter.
I think this type of behaviour will become more common place.
Smartmon should reflect to the user the true state, not the state that it 
thinks it just set it to. If the state can not be relied upon when set, then
SMARTMon should verify it and issue a warning when the value did not 
hold.
: 
: Other IBMUltrastar models support changing those fields.  I would go

: 


: wrote:
: 
: >: According to IBM technical documentation the disk performs a PFA
: >: (Predictive Failure Analysis or S.M.A.R.T) test every 10 minutes of 
: >: idleness. 
: >: This feature can not be disabled!!
: >
: >Yes it can according to the manual.
: >
: > -!!
: >Which manual?
: >How can it be disabled?
:
: The 250-page Hard drive specification manual. I have the June  2000
: version for the DDYS family, and the pub # is S31L-8989-05.
That is the ddys_sp.pdf manual as was mentioned earlier in this thread.
: 
: There are many configurable parameters including:
: PERF bit:  Still runs the test, but the test is a near-zero impact 
: test, not as thorough, but nearly zero overhead. 
And is not configurable on this drive.
: Some of the others
: are INTERVAL TIMER, REPORT COUNT, 
: ERROR LOGGING.
Which again is not configurable on this drive.
: 
: Several tools on the web. IBM has one for free, and of course there is
: SMARTMon which is $20.00 shareware, which is what I wrote
: 
http://www.santools.com
A program we now all know to be buggy and it's author to be not really 
interested in removing them bugs.
: 
: 
: