[mod.computers.vax] Auto-Restart

mike@VAX1.ACS.UDEL.EDU (PORTER) (09/03/86)

We have been having a problem with AUTO-RESTART on a VAX 11/780.  Our
primary boot device is an RP07, DRA1 (not DRA0).  When a normal shutdown
occurs, and auto-restart is requested, the system auto-restarts as
expected.  When a power failure occurs and power is restored, the following
occurs:

CPU Halt
INIT SEQ
HALT at 000000

(REALOADING WCS)
LOAD DONE
VER: ...
(AUTO-RESTART)
CPU HALT
INIT SEQ DONE
HALT INST
HALTED AT 20003563

(BOOTING)
CPU HALTED
INIT
HALT
HALTED AT 20003552

G 0000000E 00000200
LOAD DONE, 00005E00 BYTES LOADED%BOOT-F-Nonexistant drive
...

It would appear that the drive has not spun up in time before it is needed
to boot the system.  It is my understanding that this is an old error in
VMS that was fixed back in the 3.X days.  Does this error happen on other
systems?  Did 4.2 re-introduce it, and we simply have not caught it til
now?  The auto-restart switch is set.

We recently had the RP07s changed from interleaved to non-interleaved
sectors when we installed a new EMC2 dual memory controller and memory.
As part of this, an FCO was applied to the drives to avoid HCRC errors.
Other than this, no changes have been to the system since 4.2 was
introduced.

The following is our defboo.cmd file.

!
!	DB1 BOOT COMMAND FILE - DB1BOO.CMD
!
HALT			! HALT PROCESSOR
UNJAM			! UNJAM SBI
INIT			! INIT PROCESSOR
DEPOSIT/I 11 20003800	! SET UP SCBB
DEPOSIT R0 0		! DISK PACK DEVICE TYPE
DEPOSIT	R1 8		! MBA TR=8
DEPOSIT R2 1		! ADAPTER UNIT = 1
DEPOSIT R3 1		! CONTROLLER UNIT = 1
DEPOSIT R4 0		! BOOT BLOCK LBN (UNUSED)
DEPOSIT R5 4000		! SOFTWARE BOOT FLAGS
DEPOSIT FP 0		! SET NO MACHINE CHECK EXPECTED
START 20003000		! START ROM PROGRAM
WAIT DONE		! WAIT FOR COMPLETION
			! 
EXAMINE SP		! SHOW ADDRESS OF WORKING MEMORY+^X200
LOAD VMB.EXE/START:@	! LOAD PRIMARY BOOTSTRAP
START @			! AND START IT

Thanks for any help or information.

						Mike Porter

Arpa:  mike@vax1.acs.udel.EDU
Phone:  (302) 451-6081