[Info-vax] rx2600 hotplug

[FredK]

"smithfarm" <presnypreklad at gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:iamjdk$1fa0$1 at ns.felk.cvut.cz...
> As I write this, I'm installing OVMS v8.4 on my new rx2600.
>
> Tomorrow I'm buying a bunch of used SCSI disks. They have the SCA 80-pin 
> hotplug connector. I've set up a meeting with the seller where I would 
> like to test all the disks (there are 11 of them) before paying for them.
>
> Now, I won't have a lot of time to do this testing, so I'd like to have 
> everything ready. I read somewhere that these SCSI hotplug disks can be 
> removed and replaced without powering down the system. Does this mean I 
> can dismount the disk, remove it physically from the server, slide in a 
> new one, and mount it?  Without shutting down the server for each disk?
>
> Any caveats/things to watch out for?
>
> Thanks, as always
> Nathan

SCSI devices are initially configured by SYSMAN.  If a device is connected, 
then it will create a DK device for it.  If the device isn't plugged in when 
you first boot:

$ MC SYSMAN IO AUTO

Now, once that device is created (say, DKA100) you can INITIALIZE it and 
then MOUNT it.  Depending on how much time you have, then you can do 
something creative to write/read the disk to make sure it works...  like a 
backup restore and verify.  There are also disk analysis/test stuff - but 
it's been a long time since I really tested disks much.

Once you are done with it, DISMOUNT it and then you can hot plug the disk. 
The disk will have the same name as - like in the example above DKA100.

Repeat whatever steps needed on the disks.

But you do want to do at least the INIT/MOUNT and do some write and verify. 
You want to make sure it spins up, and you can get data on and off it.