Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!cascade.carleton.CDN!holtz
From: holtz@cascade.carleton.CDN (Neal Holtz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Can't format SCSI disk, DN2500
Message-ID: <1376*holtz@cascade.carleton.cdn>
Date: 21 Mar 90 22:01:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 91

I have a CDC Wren V SCSI disk (702 MB unformatted) disk on loan
from a local company that doesn't know Apollos and is interested
to see if it will work.  We are trying to add it as a second disk
(external) to a DN2500.

The DN2500 seems to largely recognize it (cntrlr 5, lu 0).  DEX can determine
the Manufacturer, ROM version, etc. (except it doesn't seem to get
the block count right, but then its not formatted yet).  It passes the
self tests (except for volume label).

I can't get it formatted.  After almost 2 hours, invol dies
with disk-controller timeout (transcript appended to this message).

We have not yet:
  1. checked the drive to see if we can format it on another machine, or
  2. talked to Apollo service to see if this should work, or
  3. tried a shorter cable (currently looks like about 3m).

In the meantime, does anyone know any reasons why this shouldn't work?

=====================================================

Tried many variations, all with the same result. 

Under MD:

    > RE
    > DI SD5:0
    > DI W
    > BOOT

Then under AEGIS, we use invol and choose option 7 -f, then 1:

    $ invol
    
    
    invol (initialize_volume), revision 10.2, September 5, 1989  3:00:18 pm
                         
    
    Options are:
      0            - EXIT.
      1 [-fnb5uom] - initialize virgin physical volume.
      2 [-fnb5u]   - add a logical volume.
      3 [-fnb5]    - re-initialize an existing logical volume.
        The following flags apply to options 1 thru 3, as indicated:
           f: don't re-format disk    u: don't prompt user - use defaults
           o: make sr9 format disk    n: make non-bootable volume
           b: apply bsd unix acls     5: apply sys5 unix acls
           m: build a multi-disk (e.g., striped) group
      4            - delete a logical volume.
      5            - list logical volumes.
      6 [-e]       - list badspots on disk or volume ... -e: list in decimal.
      7 [-f]       - initialize physical badspot list.
      8            - create or modify an os paging file.
      9            - add to existing badspot list.
     10            - display/change sector interleave factor.
     11            - remove from existing badspot list
    
    Option: 7 -f
    WARNING: this option will re-initialize (i.g., destroy) the physical badspot list
             on the disk.  Normally, it only needs to be performed when a disk is first
             received from the factory.
    
             If you want to change your mind, type 'q' to the following prompt.
    
    Select disk: [w=Winch|s=Storage mod|f=Floppy|q=Quit][ctrl#:][unit#] w5:0
    
    Enter badspots to be ADDED between physical disk addresses 0 and 8F4D3 (hex)
    Badspots must be input in (hex) physical disk address form.
      (The manufacturer supplied badspots are handled by the disk controller;  there
       is no need to manually add the badspots listed on the drive.)
    
    Terminate badspot entry with a blank line.
    : 
    Is the badspot information you entered correct? y
    
    Done.
    
    Anything more to do? y
    
    Option: 1
    
    Select disk: [w=Winch|s=Storage mod|f=Floppy|q=Quit][ctrl#:][unit#] w5:0
    
    Physical volume name: holtz
       Milestones are not available during format of a logically addressed disk.
       Formatting.
    Unrecov I/O error during format.
    
    abort - disk controller time-out (OS/disk manager)
    Run aborted.