Hello all,

I am new to the Linux world and have fared okay so far. I am finally stumped and am bowing down to the Linux gods for answers.

I have a Dell PowerEdge server with a Perc raid controller as well as a AIC7xxx SCSI controller. Attached to the aic7xxx is a Dell PowerVault VS160 DLT drive. This server is running Redhat AS 3.

When the server boots up I can issue

cat /proc/scsi/scsi

and only the raid controller shows up. If I issue a

modprobe aic7xxx

Then I can see it and the tape drive when I issue

cat /proc/scsi/scsi

and I can successfully back up to it.

How can I make this stick during a reboot? This server runs Veritas Netbackup, which starts up during a reboot, and when it doesn't see the tape drive it terminates. I need Linux to enable this drive before the Veritas software starts.

Thank you,

Denny

"How can I make this stick during a reboot? "

You need to issue the modprobe aic7xxx command during the boot process. In SuSE you would place the command in /etc/modules.conf.local. Red Hat may use a different file for user added modprobe commands. Use the find command to find likely places to put the command:
find /etc -iname "*modprobe*"

-------------------
Steve Stites

Thank you for responding to me. It's my understanding the local file is the last one to be run, which leads me to believe the Veritas Netbackup software will have already started and terminated because of the missing tape drive. (Haven't tested this yet but it sounds reasonable)

Is there another file that I could put the "modprobe aic7xxx" in to have it detect the tape drive before the Netbackup software launches?

TIA,

Denny

"Thank you for responding to me. It's my understanding the local file is the last one to be run, which leads me to believe the Veritas Netbackup software will have already started and terminated because of the missing tape drive. (Haven't tested this yet but it sounds reasonable)

Is there another file that I could put the "modprobe aic7xxx" in to have it detect the tape drive before the Netbackup software launches?"

Yes, it is true that rc.local (I think that is what Red Hat calls it) is the last file run at boot and that is too late for your purposes. What I am suggesting that you do is place "modprobe aic7xxx" in the file that Red Hat uses to issue all of the modprobe commands. SuSE splits this file into a SuSE file and a local file to make maintenance easier. You can put it in the Red Hat "modprobe.local" if Red Hat has one. If not then put it at the end of the Red Hat modprobe file, whatever that is, possible /etc/modprobe.conf.

--------------------------
Steve Stites

Steve,

I believe this file is the modules.conf file. I checked and see a line

alias scsi_hostadapter2 aic7xxx

I am only assuming this is what I need. I did try adding

modprobe aic7xxx

to the end of this file but my network adapter failed to start on boot up. It is so strange that once the system is booted and I type "modprobe aic7xxx" at the command prompt it successfully detects the device and works.

Any other suggestions are welcomed.

Thank you,

Denny

"missing my Windows system"

"I did try adding

modprobe aic7xxx

to the end of this file but my network adapter failed to start on boot up."

Could you post the last 10 or so lines of /etc/modules.conf including the modprobe statement you added. Maybe modprobe.conf exits before reaching your added statement.

You could also try moving your modprobe statement to immediately after:
alias scsi_hostadapter2 aic7xxx

--------------------------
Steve Stites

Here is my entire module.conf file

alias scsi_hostadapter megaraid
alias usb-controller usb-uhci
# Turn off mcdx modules
alias block-major-20 off
# Turn off sound
alias char-major-14 off
alias scsi_hostadapter1 aacraid
alias eth0 e1000
alias scsi_hostadapter2 aic7xxx


It was right under alias scsi_hostadapter2 aic7xxx that I added the "modprobe aic7xxx"


I ended up doing as you suggested in your first response and placed the "modprobe aic7xxx" in the rc.local file and immediately after that I launch the Netbackup software again. It's not all that elegant being the Netbackup software starts up, fails, then starts up again but it works. I'd rater have it working the right way but at this point I don't care as long as it's working..

Thank you so much for your assistance with this,

Denny