    =

    AST RESEARCH, INC.        TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1005A               2-14-95

    =

    			EISA SCSI DISK ARRAY CONTROLLERS AND SCO UNIX/ODT

    PROBLEM
    When using AST’s 5-Channel, 3-Channel, or 1-Channel EISA SCSI Disk Array
    Controller with the multithreaded BTLD (part number 910727-321) for SCO's
    UNIX or ODT operating systems, an incorrect error description is displayed
    during boot.  This happens when a physical disk drive is dead.
    During the UNIX boot process, the following error description is displayed:

    	%adapter  0x6C80-0x6CC3  11 - type=sdac 5-chnl 4-ids slot=6 ha=0
    	1 system drives are critical
    	1 system drives are dead

    	The text should read:

    	1 physical drive is dead
    	1 system drive is critical

    The modified text accurately informs us that a single physical drive has been
    flagged dead by the Disk Array Controller and the system drive has lost its
    redundancy.  When this error condition occurs, the System Administrator should
    replace and rebuild the dead drive using the Disk Array Controller Utilities
    provided under UNIX.

    CAUSE
    The text string was originally coded with the confusing error message.

    SYSTEMS AFFECTED
    AST PART NUMBER AND DESCRIPTION

    501453-001     1-CHANNEL EISA SCSI DISK ARRAY CONTROLLER ASSEMBLY
    501133-001     3-CHANNEL EISA SCSI DISK ARRAY CONTROLLER ASSEMBLY
    501133-002     5-CHANNEL EISA SCSI DISK ARRAY CONTROLLER ASSEMBLY

    PARTS AFFECTED

    230624-001     1-CHANNEL EISA SCSI DISK ARRAY CONTROLLER PCB
    230414-003     3-CHANNEL EISA SCSI DISK ARRAY CONTROLLER PCB
    221134-001     5-CHANNEL EISA SCSI DISK ARRAY CONTROLLER PCB

    SOLUTION
    None.  This TB is for information purposes only.