........................I'm in SCSI HELL!!

[thatsright]

I have a Adaptec 39160 SCSI Ultra160 card in one of my servers. Added into one of my Servers Mobo slots. Installed the latest drivers for them, and tried to get down to business. Attached a Dell Powervault 112T Dual Tape Backup drive. I did this by attaching the SCSI cable from each side of the Dell 112T, into the back the Adaptec Card. So Channel A external has the Left Tape drive hooked up. And Channel B has the right side Tape drive hooked up.

There is nothing connected internally to the SCSI card. And maybe this is the problem? In the Device Manager, what shows up for Tape Drives are 12 separate instances of 'BNCHMARK DLT Drive' and then at the bottom is one instance of the Dell PowrVault 112T.

The Problem is, how do I stop windows from seeing these other 12 phantom devices that don't exist at all. On the SCSI Card, internally nothing is connected, not even any Terminators on Channels A&B on the internal board. Is this a problem? I thought you only have to terminate devices? Do I have to also terminate the internal channel connections?

Thanks for any help.

 

[mechBgon]

Just at a guess, not having looked at the documentation, the error is that you connected both of the tape drive's connectors to the SCSI card. Check your tape drive's documentation and see if that's the issue, because I'd imagine the second connector is so you can chain more devices onto the SCSI bus if needed.

As I said, just a first guess

 

[MustISO]

You should have termination on the card set to "Auto". You don't have to have anything connected to the internal connectors.

The tape device probably needs to be terminated. There may be a switch on the outside of the tape device. You may also need to install tape drive drivers if Windows doesn't have any native drivers.

 

[thatsright]

Well, the Dell PV 112T Manual shows just connecting each tape drive to its own SCSI Channel on the back of the SCSI Card. So one tape device, per channel is how I have it hooked up now.

There really isn't any way to 'daisy chain' both sides of the tape drive onto one of the external SCSI Channels.

 

[mechBgon]

I wonder why the two sides of the drive are not simply daisy-chained internally. That would make more sense to me. Anyway, then check your termination next like MustISO said.

BTW, what is the 39160 itself seeing on the bus at boot-up?

 

[thatsright]

Originally posted by: MustISO
You should have termination on the card set to "Auto". You don't have to have anything connected to the internal connectors.

The tape device probably needs to be terminated. There may be a switch on the outside of the tape device. You may also need to install tape drive drivers if Windows doesn't have any native drivers.

This is my first time really dealing with anything to do with SCSI. But yes, your correct in that on the back of the Powervault, there is a Device Switch that is set to '5' I believe. Its one of those little 'ole school' toggle buttons.

And, on the rear of the PV, right below where the SCSI Cables go into the right or left side, are the slots to place terminators. When I got the PV, two plastic Terminators where already fixed and once in, a little Green LED comes on.

But still having these problems.??

 

[sharkeeper]

Set ID on each TD to 0.

Make sure each one is terminated.

CTRL+A into EZ BIOS and verify your settings.

AUTO TERM = ON (both channels)

BIOS SCAN OFF (all channels and ID)

BOOT SUPPORT = OFF (all channels)

Check in MACHINE BIOS to see that both Interrupts REQUIRED by HBA are free and clear of other devices.

 

[mechBgon]

I wish I had broadband so I could go get the documentation easily. Each SCSI bus needs to be terminated, and each device needs an ID. So if the drive really uses two buses, which still seems strange to me, then there ought to be two ID switches, one for each drive. Errr... :camera:'s? or a link to the documentation download if you could?

 

[thatsright]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I wish I had broadband so I could go get the documentation easily. Each SCSI bus needs to be terminated, and each device needs an ID. So if the drive really uses two buses, which still seems strange to me, then there ought to be two ID switches, one for each drive. Errr... :camera:'s? or a link to the documentation download if you could?

Link'ified Adaptec 31960 Manual

 

[thatsright]

Originally posted by: Kvaerner Masa
Set ID on each TD to 0.

Make sure each one is terminated.

CTRL+A into EZ BIOS and verify your settings.

AUTO TERM = ON (both channels)

BIOS SCAN OFF (all channels and ID)

BOOT SUPPORT = OFF (all channels)

Check in MACHINE BIOS to see that both Interrupts REQUIRED by HBA are free and clear of other devices.

Okay, either I'm being Thick about this, or just won't to be 100% sure... For 100% Proper Termination, both of the Tape Drives are terminated on the PV itself. Now do I need to terminate the INTERNAL Channel A&B connectors that are on the card itself inside the case? OR does the 'AUTO Terminate' take care of that?

And the only way to make these changes is when the Server is booting up; to go into the SCSI Bios then? I was hoping maybe there would be a way to do it within Window?

Thanks again, and for everyone's patience helping me out!

 

[Pariah]

No, you don't not have to terminate channels with nothing on them. Both ends of the every occupied channel need to be terminated, which will normally be the card and the last device on the cable, or seperate terminator for LVD chains.

Yes, you have to reboot the system to enter the SCSI card configurations.

Are the drives working despite the other problems?

Also, the 2 channel setup is correct. The enclosure has 2 SCSI ports so 2 systems can be backed up at once. So if you want to hook both drives up to the same system it shouldn't be a problem, the second port is not a daisy chain port.

 

[thatsright]

Originally posted by: Pariah
No, you don't not have to terminate channels with nothing on them. Both ends of the every occupied channel need to be terminated, which will normally be the card and the last device on the cable, or seperate terminator for LVD chains.

Yes, you have to reboot the system to enter the SCSI card configurations.

Are the drives working despite the other problems?

Veritas Backup Exec 9 is being installed on this server. While setting up the 'Device Configuration in Backup Exec, it does see the Dell Tape Drives, sort of...

But because the ID's and Terminations have not been set properly in the SCSI Bios, its seeing the Dell PV112T device, but also 12 phantom 'BNCHMARK DLT1' drives that don't exist at all.

What I have to do unfortunately is to reboot the server. But this is one of our mission critical servers. So it will have to be done very early tomorrow morning. BTW, when I installed the card originally, I NEVER went into the SCSI Bios, as I thought everything would be automatic. Well that was pretty stupid.

So tomorrow a.m., upon reboot, I will go into the SCSI Bios and make set all the options so the card is terminated properly, and can see the two devices, and nothing else.

 

[Pariah]

I find it hard to believe that termination or ID's would be the problem. The SCSI ports have to be properly terminated on the tape drive side since Dell isn't going to ship those unterminated forcing the user to open the case to make them usable, especially since the system isn't designed to have any other devices added internally later. The only termination problem should be on the SCSI card, so as mentioned above, make sure the card has auto-termination set on. SCSI ID's shouldn't be a problem either, there's only one device on each channel, so they can't conflict with anything unless they by chance had the same ID as the SCSI card (almost always 8). They do not have to be 0, it doesn't matter what you set them to. 5 should be fine.

Also, if there is a termination problem (missing termination, more than one terminating device), normally the SCSI card will detect it and post an error message at boot.

 

[thatsright]

Originally posted by: Pariah
I find it hard to believe that termination or ID's would be the problem. The SCSI ports have to be properly terminated on the tape drive side since Dell isn't going to ship those unterminated forcing the user to open the case to make them usable, especially since the system isn't designed to have any other devices added internally later. The only termination problem should be on the SCSI card, so as mentioned above, make sure the card has auto-termination set on. SCSI ID's shouldn't be a problem either, there's only one device on each channel, so they can't conflict with anything unless they by chance had the same ID as the SCSI card (almost always 8). They do not have to be 0, it doesn't matter what you set them to. 5 should be fine.

Also, if there is a termination problem (missing termination, more than one terminating device), normally the SCSI card will detect it and post an error message at boot.

And the plot thickens....

After reading the PV112T Setup guide, I realized we made a mistake. In the Manual, Dell shows placing the Terminator on the top SCSI Slot on the rear of the PowerVault, and the SCSI Cable on the Bottom SCSI slot.

Well we have it backwards. We have the terminator on bottom, and the cable back to the SCSI card, plugged into the top.

Would this cause problems/screw things up?

 

[imported_Phil]

You know, I remember seeing a system that displayed "BENCHMARK DLT" drives, although only one of them, and I think it was mis-representing a SCSI backplane, or something very similar.....

More if I can remember what it was. Off the top of my head, I'm sure it was a duff terminator, or incorrect termination or something. I'm inclined to side with Pariah on this one, though.

 

[sharkeeper]

And the plot thickens....

After reading the PV112T Setup guide, I realized we made a mistake. In the Manual, Dell shows placing the Terminator on the top SCSI Slot on the rear of the PowerVault, and the SCSI Cable on the Bottom SCSI slot.

Well we have it backwards. We have the terminator on bottom, and the cable back to the SCSI card, plugged into the top.

Would this cause problems/screw things up?

Depends on the setup wiring internally. Follow the manual though!

You can use a single channel AND daisy chain them to a single channel providing the external enclosures are wired this way. The fact that you have external terminators suggest this.

ID0 will get highest priority however since it's the only device on the bus this probably is moot.