Sunblade 2000

SLaCk_KiD · 02-24-2004, 06:45 PM

Hi all,

I am really not too familar with solaris, i have worked with irix on SGI hardware, so a friend is asking for my help with his SunBlade 2000. Now the original problem was that the computer would not boot up at all, it would just hang at a # prompt, but not do anything at all really. Then we finally got it to boot to a CD, and we checked the filesystem on the harddisk. Low and behold it had errors, which we fixed, and then rebooted. So then the machine would get to a login prompt, but you cannot log into the machine. When you type a user name, it hangs for like 30 seconds and then puts you right back at a 'login:' prompt.

So we rebooted again back to the cd, and find that we need to check the filesystem on the harddrive again before we can mount the drive. It then gives us errors again, so we fixed them and then rebooted. Then it goes to the same prompt again, the login prompt, and does nothing at all. The only error message i could read at boottime when the dmesg? (i'm a linux user) was scrolling by was that there was some sort of SCSI error, here it is in the entirity....

Code:

Warning:   /pci8@,600000/SUNW,qlc@4/fp@0,0/ssd@w21000004cfa6e3d8,0 (ssd 0):

                 SCSI transport failed: reason 'reset': retrying command

Bus Error

So i am guessing that somethign is either wrong with the disk, or the scsi hardware, but i am at a loss as to whcih it is. I didnt think that it was the disk cause we could mount it after we fixed the FS, but the SCSI error is saying that the hardware is messed up, but that cant be right because i wouldnt be able to mount the hd after i booted to CD, right?

Well as you can see I know very little and would like to help figure out what the deal here is, and if anyone could try and help me out it would be greatly appreciated. If you need more info to help, please let me know, i will try to be as helpful as i can.

Thanks!

chozzie · 02-25-2004, 07:37 AM

Hi Slack_kid,
From the information that you've given, it seems that there are parts of your filesystem which have been corrupted. I see that you've checked the filesystem..

---
Warning: /pci8@,600000/SUNW,qlc@4/fp@0,0/ssd@w21000004cfa6e3d8,0 (ssd 0)
---

The line above looks like its pointing to your root (internal) FC disk. (You can check with the WWW# that it spews out at you "w21000004cfa6e3d8,0" with the WWW seen in format)

Make sure that you fsck the WHOLE disk (if you haven't done so already) - slice 2 - just taking a *slight* stab in the dark, i think that your /usr filesystem may perhaps by corrupted.

This would not allow your system to mount the /usr filesystem and execute the 'reset' command which lives in /usr/ucb/.

'reset' helps clear your terminal settings. I guess failing to execute this *may* be a reason you can't log in (?)

I hope this may shed some light. If you're really in a rut you could load an image on the other FC disk and boot of that to verify whether it is hardware or a corrupted OS image.

Let us know how you go.

Hoa.

jlliagre · 02-25-2004, 04:05 PM

Chozzie,

to fsck the whole disk, using the slice 2 is the wrong approach. It would just be equivalent to fsck slice 0.
As it names implies fsck check and fix file-systems, so the right way is to identify the slices containing ufs partitions by looking the /etc/vfstab file, and then to fsck each of them.
Another comment, the reset appearing in the error message has nothing to do with the reset shell command, but is really telling that for some reason, the scsi bus was resetted.
I'm afraid the disk is dying, or worst the controller. If you are lucky, the problem is only a cable problem.

SLaCk_KiD, how many scsi devices are connected to your bus?
Have you tried to disconnect/reconnect them ?
to disconnect all of them but the main disk ?
to use the diagnostic/self-test commands in boot prompt mode ?