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Conference ssdevo::hsz40_product

Title:	HSZ40 Product Conference

Moderator:	SSDEVO::EDMONDS

Created:	Mon Apr 11 1994
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	902
Total number of notes:	3319

861.0. "Warm swap??" by DYOSW5::WILDER (Does virtual reality get swapped?) Mon May 05 1997 06:37

    One of the things we push about our storage is the ability to do a warm
    swap on failed disks. This is a good advantage. 
    
    Does anyone know why the CSC tells customers that they recommend that
    to replace a disk that the customer should shutdown the system? My
    customer was told that they (the CSC) understands that warm swap works,
    but that they recommended the system be shut down.
    
    Now, in a 7x24 shop, this is not very easy. Any ideas why they are
    being told this??
    
    /jim

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
861.1		LEXS01::GINGER	Ron Ginger	`Mon May 05 1997 09:25`	8
	Most likely because the person doing the telling thinks its the way to go. I have a field service rep that insists on telling customers to do the button push stuff to quiet the bus before moving the disk. He doenst care that the manual clearly states this is no longer needed. My customers often get conflicting info from calling a support center. Try calling a few times with the same question, see how many variations of answer you get.
861.2	It's still better to be more careful...	SSDEVO::RMCLEAN		`Mon May 05 1997 10:57`	5
	Although it is true that async swap works a lot of us feel more comfortable using other methods to assure that the drives have had a chance to do all their transfers before the nasty changes to the bus configuration occurs. You will find that an async swap causes a LOT of nasty signals to go out on the SCSI bus
861.3		LEXS01::GINGER	Ron Ginger	`Tue May 06 1997 14:04`	10
	Then the manual ought to say that. In short simple english sentences. Obviously we made a change in the manual, and specifically note it is now OK to do. If it is OK, then leave it in the manual and ask all engineers and support people to say so. If it is not then document it that way. Why do we insist on confusing the hell out of our customers and our own service and support people? Why should a customer trust what he hears from DEC when he can get opposite answers to some simple question.
861.4	Nothing is simple when swapping drives...	SSDEVO::RMCLEAN		`Tue May 06 1997 14:15`	9
	There are a LOT of nasty things you can do swapping drives no matter what way you attempt it. The worst is to swap a drive out that is doing transfers at the time of the swap. Pushing the buttons is the best way to swap them to ensure that everything is cleaned up. You will be ok if you swap a drive that is really idle. The async swap is a marketing feature we get beaten up on if it is not there... It has no way to guarantee that some dumb operator doesn't pull the wrong drive or swap two drives at the same time and really confuse things (raidsets/mirror sets loose a member etc.). Swapping drives really takes some REAL care!