info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (03/18/85)
From: Richard Garland <OC.GARLAND@CU20B.ARPA> I have been told by one of our department's of a micro VAX-I disk controller problem (RQDX1) which they say was verified by RDC: Each time you power on the uVAX, the disk controller flags a good block as bad (My contact thought the particular block was random). This has 2 effects: 1) The disk is slowly but surely renderred unusable as your files get corrupted. 2) Even if the good-bad blocks are not in files, performance degrades due to the other more well known problem with the controller: The controller microcode is so slow that after you get around 12 bad blocks to revector, you lose a whole revolution on each disk read or write (since it must look through the revectoring table each time.) There is supposed to be a uCode update to fix the false bad block problem. Meantime, don't turn off your microVAXen, and make sure field service knows you need/want the controller micro-code fix. Rg -------
info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (03/29/85)
From: Dustin.MAVDVAX@HI-MULTICS.ARPA An entry dated 3/18/85 from garland warned of a uVAX disk controller problem. I called our local DEC service office and they have no record of this problem. In order for them to track the problem, they need more information such as the RDC contact person and if there is a number associated with it. Please forward information to this forum or contact Joni Dustin (612) 542-4223. Thank You!