26 Jan
2005
26 Jan
'05
4:05 a.m.
Stupid question, but does anyone know if the SCSI BIOS format utility on
Adaptec 29160 or 2940 cards does bad block checking and reassignment?
I've got a 1GB Fujitsu SCSI drive here that has one dodgy block right in
the middle of the disk (according to the Linux badblocks util, which
still has a couple of passes to run).
Unfortunately I want the disk for my Tektronix, and I think bad block
mapping under Linux is only done at the filesystem level, rather than
Linux being able to low-level format the drive and map blocks out that
way.
I'm a bit wary of the Adaptec BIOS utility - hopefully it won't trash
the drive...
cheers
Jules
26 Jan
26 Jan
5:30 a.m.
The SCSI adapter only issues format command to the HD, and the HD
formats itself. So whatever SCSI adapter you use, the HD will do bad
block forwarding.
vax, 9000
On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 15:05:34 +0000, Jules Richardson
<julesrichardsonuk(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
Stupid question, but does anyone know if the SCSI BIOS format utility on
Adaptec 29160 or 2940 cards does bad block checking and reassignment?
I've got a 1GB Fujitsu SCSI drive here that has one dodgy block right in
the middle of the disk (according to the Linux badblocks util, which
still has a couple of passes to run).
Unfortunately I want the disk for my Tektronix, and I think bad block
mapping under Linux is only done at the filesystem level, rather than
Linux being able to low-level format the drive and map blocks out that
way.
I'm a bit wary of the Adaptec BIOS utility - hopefully it won't trash
the drive...
cheers
Jules
5:30 a.m.
On Wed, 26 Jan 2005, Jules Richardson wrote:
Stupid question, but does anyone know if the SCSI BIOS format utility on
Adaptec 29160 or 2940 cards does bad block checking and reassignment?
My experience with the 29160 is that it does.
There is also a utility scu (apparently a linux compiled version of the
Ultrix/Tru64 utility of the same name) which will allow bad block checking
and automatic or manual relocation from linux.
In the last month its download location seems to have vanished
(http://www.bit-net.com/~rmiller/scu.html) But if it you can find it it
will help.
I'm a bit wary of the Adaptec BIOS utility -
hopefully it won't trash
the drive...
Mine worked OK, but it will choke if the relocation caching table is full.
5:50 a.m.
On Wed, 2005-01-26 at 10:30 -0600, P Thompson wrote:
On Wed, 26 Jan 2005, Jules Richardson wrote:
Thanks to those who replied - both on the list and privately. I gave it
a go and it seems to have worked; 'badblocks' under Linux just found the
one bad block, so I tried the 'verify media' option in the end under the
Adaptec BIOS (I'd forgotten about that option, only remembering
'format').
It too just found the one bad block and says that it remapped it for me,
so all seems to be well (assuming the problem block was a random event
on a ten year old drive, rather than it being the first sign of rapid
self destruction)
I'm glad it seems to have sorted itself out; I'm running low on spare
single-ended SCSI drives of around the 1GB capacity with 50 pin
connectors these days...
cheers!
Jules
Stupid question, but does anyone know if the SCSI BIOS format utility on
Adaptec 29160 or 2940 cards does bad block checking and reassignment?
My experience with the 29160 is that it does. 
7:49 a.m.
Jules Richardson wrote:
It too just found the one bad block and says that it
remapped it for me,
so all seems to be well (assuming the problem block was a random event
on a ten year old drive, rather than it being the first sign of rapid
self destruction)
Oh, you'll know when rapid self-destruction is coming -- the signs are usually
*audible*, not visual :-)
--
Jim Leonard (trixter(a)oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Want to help an ambitious games project? http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
6:07 a.m.
On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 15:05:34 +0000
Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
I've got a 1GB Fujitsu SCSI drive here that has
one dodgy block right
in the middle of the disk
Maybe you want to run sformat on your disk. It does
extensive read/write
pattern tests, optional low level format and can reassign bad blocks.
Low level format and bad block reassignment can be done with the
scsictl(8) of NetBSD too.
--
tsch??,
Jochen
Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/
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atrivo＠nm.ru -
jkunz＠unixag-kl.fh-kl.de -
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trixter＠oldskool.org -
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