disk not ready error...

[Claude.P.Cantin at nrc.CA]

We have a 4D/240S, 260S and 280S.  All have multiple 1.2 GB SMD drives.

When we have a power failure (which we do on average every few months),
the 260 and 280 come back up fine, with no problems (I felt brave and
put an automatic "fsck -y" if the superblock of additional disks
is dirty).

BUT!!!!!
---

our 240S has a "disk not ready error", then goes into the "maintenance menu",
and waits for operator intervention.  This is due to the fact that when
the system first tries to access the SMD drive, the drive has not yet
spun up to speed.


WHAT the hot-line says:
----------------------

The hot-line says that it happens only to that system because our other
two Power Series have more CPUs = more initialization time.  Therefore,
SMD disk has more time to spin up to speed.

I have asked them if other 240S with SMD drives have the same problem we
do.  He hesitantly answered "yes".

MY QUESTION:
-----------

Do any of you, who own a Power Series 4D/240S (server, no graphics) with the
system disk being a 1.2 GB SMD drive have that same problem (i.e. after the
power goes off, then on, the system tries to read from the system disk
BEFORE is has spun up to speed, resulting in a "disk not ready error",
then going in the maintenance menu)???????


I would appreciate hearing from you.  And, if no one does have that problem,
then I have more "material" to give the hot-line... so I can get them
to change our disk (if that's the problem)...  After all, we have FULL
support!


Would everyone with that configuration (240S, SMD drives) please respond.

Thank you for your help,


      Claude Cantin
      National Research Council of Canada