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

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			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.