Hello,

I am trying to set up a cluster with a firewire drive. I am able to see the drive from each machine if I boot them individually but cannot see them at the same time. When I put the parameter exclusive_login=0 then the sbp2 driver errors out and the device is not visible at all. Does my hardware not accept multiple logins? I cannot tell from the specs, but it is a firewire 400, which I beleive accepts multiple logins. Here are the specs and error messages:


1. linux type and versions : centos 5.2 plus - kernel 2.6.18-92.1.22.el5.centos.plus
2. Firewire drive : Maxtor one touch 4 plus - 750G

If I put options sbp2 serialize_io=1 exclusive_login=0 in modprobe.conf (in both servers) then after I reboot I get the following from dmesg:

ieee1394: sbp2: Driver forced to serialize I/O (serialize_io=1)
ieee1394: sbp2: Try serialize_io=0 for better performance
ieee1394: sbp2: Error querying logins to SBP-2 device - timed out
ieee1394: sbp2: Device does not support any more concurrent logins
sbp2: probe of 0010b9021141008d-0 failed with error -16
ieee1394: sbp2: Error querying logins to SBP-2 device - timed out
ieee1394: sbp2: Device does not support any more concurrent logins
sbp2: probe of 0010b9021141008d-0 failed with error -16



Interestingly this device never shows me the "Maximum concurrent logins supported" in dmesg. Does that tell me that the hardware does not support concurrent logins? I would be very surprised as this is the latest firewire drive available from Maxtor.

Please help. I am stuck and have been trying out different things for days now without any success

Regards
Jit

Any time I have worked with Drives connected to multiple machines via a direct physical link (SCSI/FC) there were dual controllers on the drive. and common volumes where never accessed by more than one machine, access was always exclusive.

I would highly doubt that a $150.00 USB/Firewire Drive from Maxtor can be connected actively to multiple machines at one time.

It is actually pretty common to use for testing of oracle rac. Here is a link to that http://www.oracle.com/technology/pub...ac10gr2.html#4 . Most of the Maxtor onetouch allow multiple concurrent logins as listed in that link. Unfortunately I got the latest onetouch 4 plus and now I am not sure if the firmware turned ot off for some reason.

Regards
Jit

Interesting.. consider me schooled. I'll have to look at mine tonight, and see if dmesg reports "Maximum concurrent logins supported: 2"
I have always believed Firewire was far superior to USB.. yet more proof it was designed well.

http://www.oracle.com/technology/pub...reWire%20Drive

You are right their list does not have any One Touche 4's listed.. is it because the article is old, or the OT4 doesn't support it.. Hmm

I don't see the concurrent logins message on the OT4.. all the other messages match the example in the diags section of that page.

I tried enabling concurrent logins using the info from the troubleshooting page by modifying modprobe.conf and all it got me was a more informative message that said NO WAY !!

So it looks like the One Touch 4 is NOT compatible with concurrent logins..

Bummer you had me interested

Yes I have the exact same problem. I also do not get the "concurrent logins message" on the OT4. I am really surprised that they would turn this feature off somehow in the firmware. From what I understand firewire 400 does allow concurrent logins. So the only way this could have got turned off is if Maxtor changed it in the firmware. I can't get an answer from Maxtor either.

I guess I will have to try another firewire drive. Will play around a bit more and will update if I find something

Regards
Jit

From what I read on the link you provided it looks like it might be a function of the chip used in the firewire inteface of the drive as well.. so if Maxtor switched to a less expensive or different firewire chip in the drive, the new chip could be the cause of the lack of concurrent login support.

Actually Maxtor changed their chipsets when they were bought by Seagate. I called Sales Support and the only link I got was doc id 194307. There was another URL (I lost! darn!) which showed all the chipsets of their models and the most recents had switched off Oxford.

I bought LaCie 2big Triple which has the Oxford chipset (I checked with LaCie Sales) but somehow Linux does not identify the device. And LaCie "only do Windoze"

My LaCie 2big Triple Extreme will not allow concurrent logins. Trying to figure out why.

I checked with LaCie and 2big Triple Extreme has Oxford 922 chipset which should allow concurrent logins. It might then be the Firewire controller card which does not allow the multiple logins. Got VergeLabs NitroAV Firewire800 card with TI XIO2213A chipset. will test other cards and hard drives.

Success! It was not the drive or the card, it was the distro. Oracle Enterprise Linux 5.3 has customized the firewire modules. The standard firewire module sbp2 is bypassed for the firewire_sbp2.
So to summarize how to get a firewire drive clustered with 2 linux servers on OEL5.3:

Disk drives:
LaCie 2big Triple Extreme FW800
Other disks I tried which worked fine:
Maxtor Personal Storage 5000DV FW400
Western Digital 3200 external FW400

Controller cards:
NitroAV 3-port PCIe FW800/400 with TI chipset XIO2213A (www.firewiredirect.com)
The following cards would probably also work:
PyroAV PVC-815 with TI - XIO2213ZAY
SIIG NN-E38012-S2 (though I could not confirm which TI chipset model is on the card)

The firewire module was blacklisted by default in OEL5.3
In OEL 5.3, do the following:
cd /etc/modprobe.d; vi blacklist-firewire
put a # in front of firewire-ohci module
vi /etc/modprobe.conf
add this line at the end of the file:
options firewire_sbp2 exclusive_login=0
reboot

Repeat on 2nd node; after the reboot fdisk -l on both nodes should list the external firewire drive

NICE !! Thanks for sharing your solution so this thread is complete

The Maxtor 4 Plus definitely does not allow concurrent logins. I finally got a Maxtor III and without changing any settings, took out the Maxtor 4 plus and plugged in the Maxtor III and things started working like a charm. So Maxtor must have blocked the concurrent logins in Maxtor 4 plus

Regards
Jit

Hi Jit,

It is just by coincidence that I too am building the same Oracle RAC using the same doc.

I was "googling" for fire wire issues to make sure I buy the correct cards and disks.

I have not started anything yet, just putting together the shopping list.

Would you be kind enough to share your shopping list with me? I am in Canada and I was hoping to get the items from a local store (tigerdirect) if not I'll look on ebay or from where you'll suggest.

Is the Rac up and running?

Look forward to your response.

Desi