Drivers Dell SCSI & RAID Devices

17-04-2021

Drivers Dell SCSI & RAID Devices

Dell™ PowerEdge™ 1500SC Systems User's Guide

Adaptec AHA-151X/AHA-152X or AIC-6260/AIC-6360 SCSI Host Adapter (non-pnp). Get drivers and downloads for your Dell Precision T3500. Download and install the latest drivers, firmware and software.

This section describes how to install and configure the Dell SCSI device drivers included with your system. These device drivers are designed to work with the Adaptec AIC-7899 Ultra 160/m SCSI-3 controller on the system board. Each channel of the AIC-7899 supports up to eight internal SCSI hard drives via SCSI backplane boards.

If you are using an optional RAID Controller, see your RAID controller documentation for information on installing your SCSI device drivers.

For instructions on installing SCSI hardware devices such as hard drives, tape drives, or CD drives, see 'Installing a Drive in the Peripheral Bay' in the Installation and Troubleshooting Guide. After the SCSI devices are installed, install and configure any SCSI device drivers to enable them to communicate with your operating system.

See 'Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD' for instructions on creating a diskette of drivers for your operating system. For instructions on configuring the SCSI device drivers, see the documentation that came with your operating system. You may also need to use the SCSISelect utility, discussed in this section.

The SCSISelect Utility

The BIOS for the integrated Adaptec AIC-7899 SCSI controller includes the menu-driven SCSISelect configuration utility, which allows you to change SCSI controller settings without opening the system. SCSISelect also contains SCSI disk utilities that let you low-level format or verify the disk media of your SCSI hard drives.

Starting the SCSISelect Utility

You can start the SCSISelect utility by pressing <Ctrl><a> when the following prompt appears briefly during start-up:

Press <CTRL><A> for SCSISelect™ Utility!

The first menu displays the Configure/View Host Adapter Settings and SCSI Disk Utilities options.

Using SCSISelect Menus

SCSISelect uses menus to list options that you can select. To select an option, press the up- and down-arrow keys to move the cursor to the option; then press <Enter>.

In some cases, selecting an option displays another menu. You can return to the previous menu at any time by pressing <Esc>. To restore the original SCSISelect default values, press <F6>.

SCSISelect Default Settings

Default settings for the integrated AIC-7899 SCSI controller are shown in Table C-1. These default settings are appropriate for most PCI systems. Run SCSISelect only if you need to change any of the default settings.

NOTE: To change the configuration settings, you must run the SCSISelect utility.

NOTE: If the host adapter does not control the bootable hard drive, you may want to disable its BIOS.

For situations in which you might want or need to change the settings, see the description of each setting in the following subsections. To change any of the default settings or to format or verify a disk, see 'Using the SCSI Disk Utilities.'

Setting	Default
SCSI Bus Interface Definitions:
Host Adapter SCSI ID	7
SCSI Parity Checking	Enabled
Host Adapter SCSI Termination	Enabled or Automatic
Boot Device Options:
Boot Channel	A First
Boot SCSI ID	0
Boot LUN Number	0
SCSI Device/Configuration:
Sync Transfer Rate MB/Sec	160
Initiate Wide Negotiation	Yes (Enabled)
Enable Disconnection	Yes (Enabled)
Send Start Unit Command	Yes (Enabled)
Enable Write Back Cache	Yes or N/C
BIOS Multiple LUN Support	No (Enabled)
Include in BIOS Scan	Yes (Enabled)
Advanced Configuration:
Reset SCSI Bus at IC Initialization	Enabled
Display <Ctrl><a> Message During BIOS Initialization	Enabled
Extended BIOS Translation For DOS Drivers > 1 GB	Enabled
Silent/Verbose Mode	Verbose
Host Adapter BIOS	Enabled
Domain Validation	Enabled
Support Removable Disks Under BIOS As Fixed Disks	Boot Only
BIOS Support For Bootable CD	Enabled
BIOS Support For Int 13 Extensions	Enabled
Support For Ultra SCSI Speed	Enabled
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary.

SCSI Bus Interface Definitions

The basic host adapter settings are the SCSISelect settings most likely to require modification:

Host Adapter SCSI ID — Sets the host adapter's SCSI ID. The default setting is SCSI ID 7, which allows the host adapter to support narrow SCSI devices in addition to wide SCSI devices. Dell recommends that you leave the host adapter set to SCSI ID 7.
SCSI Parity Checking — Determines whether the host adapter verifies the accuracy of data transfer on the SCSI bus. The default setting is Enabled. You should disable SCSI Parity Checking if any SCSI device connected to the host adapter does not support SCSI parity; otherwise, leave it enabled. Most SCSI devices support SCSI parity. If you are unsure whether a device supports SCSI parity, consult the documentation for the device.
Host Adapter SCSI Termination — Sets termination on the host adapter. The default setting for the AIC-7899 host adapter is Enabled or Automatic. Dell recommends that you leave this option set to the default.

Boot Device Options

The boot device options allow you to specify the device from which to boot your system:

Boot SCSI ID — Specifies the boot channel (A or B) for the dual-channel Adaptec 7899 host adapter. The default is A First.
Boot LUN Number — Allows you to specify a particular logical unit number (LUN) from which to boot your boot device if your boot device has multiple LUNs and BIOSMultiple LUN Support is enabled (see 'SCSI Device/Configuration Settings'). The default setting is LUN 0.

SCSI Device/Configuration Settings

The SCSI device/configuration settings allow you to configure certain parameters for each device on the SCSI bus. To configure a specific device, you must know the SCSI ID assigned to that device. If you are not sure of the SCSI ID, see 'Using the SCSI Disk Utilities.'

Sync Transfer Rate MB/sec — Sets the maximum synchronous data transfer rate that the host adapter supports.

The AIC-7899 host adapter supports rates up to 160 megabytes per second (MB/sec). The default for the AIC-7899 host adapter is 160 MB/sec.

If the host adapter is set to not negotiate for synchronous data transfer, the maximum synchronous transfer rate is the maximum rate that the host adapter accepts from the device during negotiation. (This setting is standard SCSI protocol.)

Initiate Wide Negotiation — Determines whether the host adapter attempts 16-bit data transfer instead of 8-bit data transfer. The default is Yes.

NOTE: Some 8-bit SCSI devices may have trouble handling wide negotiation, which may result in erratic behavior or a hang condition. For these devices, set Initiate Wide Negotiation to No.

When this option is set to Yes, the host adapter attempts 16-bit data transfer. When this option is set to No, 8-bit data transfer is used unless the SCSI device itself requests wide negotiation. The effective transfer rate is doubled when 16-bit data transfer is used because the data path for wide SCSI is twice the size of normal 8-bit SCSI.

Enable Disconnection (sometimes called disconnect/reconnect) — Determines whether the host adapter allows the SCSI device to disconnect from the SCSI bus. Enabling disconnection allows the host adapter to perform other operations on the SCSI bus while the SCSI device is temporarily disconnected. The default setting is Yes.

Leave Enable Disconnection set to Yes if two or more SCSI devices are connected to the host adapter. This optimizes SCSI bus performance. If only one SCSI device is connected to the host adapter, set Enable Disconnection to No to achieve slightly better performance.

Send Start Unit Command — Determines whether the start unit command is sent to the SCSI device during the boot routine. The default is Yes.

Setting this option to Yes reduces the load on your system's power supply by allowing the host adapter to start SCSI devices one at a time when you boot your system. When this option is set to No, the devices are allowed to start at the same time. Most devices require you to set a jumper before they can respond to this command.

NOTE: For many devices, if Send Start Unit Command is set to Yes, the boot routine time will vary depending on how long it takes each drive to start.

Enable Write Back Cache — Signals the completion of a write request as soon as the data is in cache. Actual writing to the disk occurs at a later time. The default setting is N/C or Yes.
BIOS Multiple LUN Support — Provides support for peripherals that contain multiple SCSI devices, such as autoloading tape drives and CD changers.

NOTE: The setting for BIOS Multiple LUN Support must be No or Enabled (default) if a tape autoloader is connected.

Include in BIOS Scan — Enables you to set whether the system BIOS scans this device during system start-up. The default is Yes.

Advanced Configuration Settings

The advanced host adapter settings should not be changed unless absolutely necessary. These values are set by Dell, and changing them may cause conflicts with the SCSI devices.

Reset SCSI Bus at IC Initialization — Enables the SCSI bus to be reset when the controller is initialized. The default is Enabled.
Display <Ctrl><a> Message During BIOS Initialization — Determines whether the Press <CTRL><A> for SCSISelect™ Utility! message appears on your screen during system start-up. The default setting is Enabled. If this setting is disabled, you can still run the SCSISelect utility by pressing <Ctrl><a> after the host adapter BIOS banner appears.
Extended BIOS Translation For DOS Drives > 1 GB — Determines whether extended translation is available for SCSI hard drives with capacities greater than 1 GB. The default setting is Enabled.

NOTICE: Back up your hard drive before you change the translation scheme. All data is erased when you change from one translation scheme to another.

The standard translation scheme for SCSI host adapters provides a maximum accessible capacity of 1 GB. To support hard drives larger than 1 GB, the 78xx series host adapters include an extended translation scheme that supports hard drives as large as 8 GB, with a maximum partition size of 2 GB under the DOS operating system.

It is not necessary to enable the Extended BIOS Translation setting if you are using another operating system.

When you partition a hard drive larger than 1 GB, use the MS-DOS® fdisk utility as you normally would. Because the cylinder size increases to 8 MB under extended translation, the partition size you choose must be a multiple of 8 MB. If you request a size that is not a multiple of 8 MB, fdisk rounds up to the nearest whole multiple of 8 MB.

Silent/Verbose Mode — Displays the host adapter information during system start-up. The default is Verbose.
Host Adapter BIOS — Enables or disables the host adapter BIOS. The default setting is Enabled.

NOTE: Several SCSISelect options are not valid unless the host adapter BIOS is enabled.

If you are booting from a SCSI hard drive connected to the host adapter, the BIOS must be enabled. You should disable the host adapter BIOS if the peripherals on the SCSI bus (for example, CD drives) are all controlled by device drivers and do not need the BIOS.

Domain Validation — Instructs the host adapter not to accept a negotiated speed until a validation test is successfully performed. After determining the speed that a target device is capable of, the host adapter sends a Write Buffer command to the target device. The data transfer occurs at the full speed initially. The initiator reads and tests the data and identifies any parity or cyclic redundancy check (CRC) errors. If the test fails, the initiator lowers its speed and repeats the test. In this manner, a compatible speed will be found and locked in before user data transfers begin. The default is Enabled.
Support Removable Disks Under BIOS As Fixed Disks — Controls which removable-media drives are supported by the host adapter BIOS. The default setting is Boot Only. The following choices are available.

NOTICE: If a removable-media SCSI device is controlled by the host adapter BIOS, do not remove the media while the drive is on or you might lose data. If you want to be able to remove media while the drive is on, install your removable-media device driver and set this option to Disabled.

Scsi Device Driver

Boot Only — Only the removable-media drive designated as the boot device is treated as a hard drive.
All Disks — All removable-media drives supported by the BIOS are treated as hard drives.
Disabled — No removable-media drives are treated as hard drives. In this situation, software drivers are needed because the drives are not controlled by the BIOS.

BIOS Support For Bootable CD-ROM — Determines whether the host adapter BIOS provides support for booting from a CD drive. The default setting is Enabled.
BIOS Support For Int 13 Extensions — Determines whether the host adapter BIOS supports disks with more than 1024 cylinders. The default setting is Enabled.
Support For Ultra SCSI Speed — Determines whether the host adapter supports the fast transfer rates (20–40 MB/sec). The default setting is Enabled.

Using the SCSI Disk Utilities

To access the SCSI disk utilities, select SCSI Disk Utilities from the menu that appears when you start SCSISelect. When the option is selected, SCSISelect immediately scans the SCSI bus (to determine the devices installed) and displays a list of all SCSI IDs and the device assigned to each ID.

When you select a specific ID and device, a menu appears, displaying the Format Disk and Verify Disk Media options.

NOTICE: The Format Disk option destroys all data on the hard drive.

Format Disk — Runs a utility that allows you to perform a low-level format on a hard drive. Most SCSI disk drives are formatted at the factory and do not need to be formatted again. The Adaptec Format Disk utility is compatible with the majority of SCSI disk drives.
Verify Disk Media — Runs a utility that allows you to scan the media of a hard drive for defects. If the utility finds bad blocks on the media, it prompts you to reassign them; if you select Yes,those blocks are no longer used. You can press <Esc> at any time to exit the utility.

Exiting SCSISelect

To exit SCSISelect, press <Esc> until a message prompts you to exit. (If you changed any 78xx series host adapter settings, you are prompted to save the changes before you exit.) At the prompt, select Yes to exit, and then press any key to reboot the system. Any changes that you made in SCSISelect take effect after the system boots. (You can select No at the prompt if you are not ready to exit SCSISelect.)

Troubleshooting for Windows NT

The boot manager for Windows NT® contains recovery logic to allow you to return to the last known good configuration. If you have changed your host adapter configuration and Windows NT no longer boots, perform the following steps to recover it:

Undo any hardware changes that you have made to the system since it was last operational.
Reboot the system. Watch the display carefully during start-up. If the following message appears, press the spacebar, type l at the next screen, and then follow the instructions on the screen to continue booting with the last known good configuration:

Press spacebar NOW to invoke the Last Known Good menu

When your system is operational again, check all of the hardware and software configuration changes that you want to make. Look specifically for conflicts with parts of the existing system configuration that are not being changed.

If you cannot determine the source of the error, see, 'Getting Help' in the Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for instructions on contacting Dell for technical assistance.

Troubleshooting for NetWare

Any error that occurs while the driver is initializing prevents it from loading. If an error does occur, the driver causes the system to beep and then display the following numbered error message:

xxx message

The xxx indicates the error code and message is a line of text describing the error. The error codes are divided into three categories:

000-099 — Non-host-adapter specific
100-299 — Host-adapter specific
300-999 — Reserved

Specific error codes, such as those in the following subsections, appear only if you have installed the host adapters and drivers that generate them.

Non-Host-Adapter Specific Error Codes

The following error codes alert you to error conditions caused by factors not related to the host adapter:

000 Failed ParseDriverParameters call

A call to the NetWare® ParseDriverParameters routine has failed for some unknown reason. The command line contains errors, or you pressed <Esc> at the port or slot prompt.

001 Unable to reserve hardware, possible conflict

The driver failed in its attempt to reserve the host adapter's hardware settings (that is, direct memory access [DMA] and interrupt request [IRQ] settings). Another card in your system may be causing a conflict with the host adapter.

002 NetWare rejected card Failed AddDiskSystem call

The driver failed in its attempt to register the host adapter with NetWare. The file server may not have enough memory.

003 Invalid command line option entered > option

An invalid option was entered on the command line. The invalid option that was entered is also displayed.

004 Invalid command line, please enter correctly

The driver was unable to understand the command line options that you entered. Be sure that you have entered these options correctly.

Host-Adapter Specific Error Codes

The following error codes alert you to error conditions caused by factors related to the host adapter:

200 No host adapter found for this driver to register

Scsi Disk Device Vs Ssd

No Adaptec 78xx host adapter was found in your system for the driver to register. Be sure that the host adapter is properly configured and properly seated in the slot.

203 Invalid 'device' setting

You have entered an invalid slot setting on the command line. You can only enter slot numbers for valid host adapters. If you load without the slot option, you will be prompted to enter a valid value.

204 Invalid 'verbose' setting, use 'y'

You can only enter y for this option (verbose=y).

205 Invalid 'removable' setting, use 'off'

You can only enter off for this option (removable=off).