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Conference 7.286::fddi

Title:FDDI - The Next Generation
Moderator:NETCAD::STEFANI
Created:Thu Apr 27 1989
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2259
Total number of notes:8590

1481.0. "DEFTA-DA reinitializing on Alpha OSF" by CSC32::N_HENDERSON (Nancy Henderson, CSC/CS, sort of) Mon Oct 24 1994 18:21

In the following configuration, they are seeing this series of console messages
on the Alpha 3000-800, fairly consistently, even with little or no activity on
the ring.  They can also cause the messages by telnet'ing from the Alpha to the
Sun and issuing an ls command of the /dev directory, but other commands which
produce a lesser amount of output do not necessarily cause a problem.  When
they telnet and see the console messages, that telnet session hangs and the
window must be killed.  Communications from the Sun to the Alpha do not
specifically reproduce the problem.

Configuration:

	Alpha 3000-800 DEFTA-DA v2.2, OSF/1 3.0
	fiber patch panel ring (?)
	Sun Solaris 4.1.3 (SAS)

Console messages:

	fta0: Halted.
	fta0: Halt Reason [8]: Unknown.
	fta0: Reinitialized network adapter...
	fta0: DMA Available.
	fta0: Link Unavailable.
	fta0: Link Available.
	fta0: Ring initialized.

I do not know much about the fiber patch panel, but they are having the
installers come back out to verify it.

Meanwhile, what kinds of things might cause the DEFTA-DA to reinitialize
itself in this manner?  Do we continue to pursue the fiber installation check? 
Is the 2.2 version of the firmware on the DEFTA adequate?  Could there be
something internal to OSF/1 which we should be checking?  Is going from a DAS
to a SAS connection legitimate?

I appreciate all efforts.

Nancy Henderson
Specialist, CSC/CS
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
1481.156821::STEFANIHave the # for the Mars Observer?Mon Oct 24 1994 20:4619
>>Meanwhile, what kinds of things might cause the DEFTA-DA to reinitialize
>>itself in this manner?  Do we continue to pursue the fiber installation check? 
>>Is the 2.2 version of the firmware on the DEFTA adequate?  Could there be
>>something internal to OSF/1 which we should be checking?  Is going from a DAS
>>to a SAS connection legitimate?
    
    Is the SAS Sun adapter connected directly to the DAS DEFTA (no
    concentrators or switches in between)?  If so, the connection is
    supported because whether it's S-A or S-B, the connection should still
    be made.
    
    On the error, if the Halt Reason of 8 is equivalent to the PDQ Port
    Specification "Halt ID" value of 8, then it's a 68000 bus exception. 
    I don't know what can cause that during run-time though.  Seeing that
    this is recurring I would have guessed that the DEFTA was tracing which
    would explain going down then coming back up.  If it's not that, I
    don't know what would cause the halt.
    
       - Larry
1481.2may be problem on SAS machineCSC32::N_HENDERSONNancy Henderson, CSC/CS, sort ofWed Oct 26 1994 14:0612
    Thank you very much for the information.
    
    No, there are no concentrators or switches inbetween the connections. 
    The customer did, however, tell me today that he believes he has
    isolated a problem with the SUN having difficulty dealing with the
    single-access to dual-access connection, so he is replacing the
    controller there with a dual-access controller.
    
    The customer requested that I stay involved, just in case, and I will
    post any updates here.
    
    	Nancy
1481.3Working it on SUN sideCSC32::N_HENDERSONNancy Henderson, CSC/CS, sort ofFri Dec 02 1994 11:136
    For closure purposes, the customer is continuing to work this problem
    from the SUN side and feels that all is okay with his DEC equipment. 
    I appreciate your previous assistance, however.
    
    Nancy
1481.4NETCAD::STEFANILook Ma, I'm drinking my oatmeal!Fri Dec 02 1994 21:598
    >>                      -< Working it on SUN side >-
    >>I appreciate your previous assistance, however.
    
    No problem.  I've heard more horror stories on FDDI adapters in Sun
    workstations than I care to remember.  They might as well just stick to
    Ethernet.
    
    -Larry