[comp.sys.dec] DISKEEPER/Plus SMP problems revisited

brodie@fps.mcw.edu (12/05/89)

I have been working closely with EXECUTIVE Software (as a customer),
in helping solve their previous problems with DISKEEPER and certain
SMP processors.

I sent out a posting several weeks ago announcing that you should use
CAUTION when installing Diskeeper on SMP machines.

The problem has been "officially" resolved (via a new release), and the
following is the memo that accompanied the new release-

(ed:  the new release is Version 3.0b)

"DISKEEPER/Plus version 3.0 was found to be incompatible with stand-alone
SMP systems.  DISKEEPER/Plus V3.0 is and has been compatable with VAX SMP
systems in clustered environments and with all single-CPU systems.  The
problem V3.0 has with SMP machines occurs only on standalone SMP systems.

(ed:  gee, guess what kind of system I have?     anyway.   continuing...)

"In a standalone SMP environment, DISKEEPER follows a code path into the
XQP uniqie to standalone SMP's.  The problem reported was the result of a
failure to acquire interlocks with ALL CPU's, which meant that an IRP
would remain at the head of the XQP Request Queue even whe nthe XQP believed
it had released it back to VMS.  This caused the system to eventually hang,
because once the head of the XQP became invalid, all other requests would
fail to pass through the queue.

DISKEEPER/Plus Version 3.0b corrects this problem."


well, there you have it.

-kent 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kent C. Brodie - Systems Manager		brodie@mcw.edu
Medical College of Wisconsin			+1 414 778 4500

"Gee, I hope these are the right coordinates..."  -Chief O'Brian; STTNG