MACALLSTR@vax1.physics.oxford.ac.UK (11/27/87)
We have a serious problem with our TA78 tape drives on an HSC50. I'm sending this message in the hope that someone else has experienced the problem and has or knows of a fix. We have a VAX8700 + HSC50 + TA78with four TU78 drives. Problem: high error rates from any one tape drive can cause the controller to drop out and become disconnected from the HSC50 - thus losing ALL the drives with disastrous results for the other processes using them! DEC (UK) tell me this is a known problem ( and has been for a long time ) and that a new version of HSC50 microcode will be released in about four months' time. I asked if we could have a patch ( as is usually possible with most DEC products when serious problems are encountered ) but was told by our Field Service branch that this would not be possible. I think that is not a satisfactory response to a problem that I am able to reproduce, has been known to DEC for some time and must be affecting many of DEC's customers. So... if anyone from DEC is listening PLEASE may I have a patch to fix this particular problem? !! Hopefully..., John