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Installing and Configuring SCSI Drivers: Dell™ PowerEdge™ 6400 Systems User's Guide

Overview Driver Installation for NetWare 5.0
The SCSISelect Utility Using SCSI Devices
Driver Installation for Windows NT Server 4.0 Troubleshooting for Windows NT Server 4.0
Driver Installation for NetWare 4.2 Troubleshooting for NetWare

Overview

This section describes how to install and configure the Dell small computer system interface (SCSI) device drivers included with your Dell PowerEdge 6400 computer system. These device drivers are designed to work with the Adaptec AIC-7899 Ultra3 (Ultra160) SCSI controller and the Adaptec AIC-7880 Ultra/Narrow SCSI controller (limited to narrow SCSI by implementation) on the system board.

The AIC-7899 and AIC-7880 application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are part of the Adaptec 78xx series of SCSI controllers. The Adaptec SCSI basic input/output system (BIOS), which is stored in your computer system's flash memory, links these SCSI device drivers to the AIC-7899 and AIC-7880 SCSI controller chips while booting or in the DOS environment.

note.gif (505 bytes) If you are using an optional Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller (PERC), use the same driver installation for a SCSI host adapter.

For instructions on installing SCSI hardware devices such as hard-disk drives, tape drives, or CD-ROM drives, trained service technicians should see "Installing Drives in the External Bays" and "Installing Hard-Disk Drives" 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.

SCSI device drivers are provided for the following operating systems:

See "Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD" for instructions on creating driver diskettes for your operating system. For instructions on configuring the SCSI device drivers, see the following subsections.


The SCSISelect Utility

The BIOS for the integrated Adaptec AIC-7899 and AIC-7880 SCSI controllers includes the menu-driven SCSISelect configuration utility, which allows you to change SCSI controller settings without opening the computer. SCSISelect also contains SCSI disk utilities that let you low-level format or verify the disk media of your SCSI hard-disk drives.

SCSISelect Defaults

Defaults for the integrated AIC-7880 SCSI controller are shown in Table 1 and for the integrated AIC-7899 SCSI controller are shown in Table 2. These defaults are appropriate for most Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) systems. Run SCSISelect only if you need to change any of the defaults.
 

NOTES: To change the configuration settings, you must run the SCSISelect utility twice—once for the AIC-7899 SCSI controller and once for the AIC-7880 SCSI controller.

The term host adapter is used throughout this section to refer to the integrated AIC-7899 and AIC-7880 SCSI controllers.

If the AIC-7899 controller does not control the bootable hard-disk drive, you may want to disable its BIOS. Do not disable the BIOS for the AIC-7880 controller, because the device controls the CD-ROM drive.

For situations in which you might want or need to change the defaults, see the descriptions of each setting in the following subsections. To change any of the defaults or to format or verify a disk, see "Starting the SCSISelect Utility."

Table 1. AIC-7880 SCSI Controller Settings

Setting Default
SCSI Bus Interface Definitions 
Host Adapter SCSI ID 7
SCSI Parity Checking Enabled
Host Adapter SCSI Termination Enabled
Additional Options
Boot Device Options: 

Boot SCSI ID

0

Boot LUN Number

0
SCSI Device Configuration: 

Sync Transfer Rate

20 MB/sec

Enable Disconnection

Yes (Enabled)

Send Start Unit Command

Yes (Enabled)

BIOS Multiple LUN Support

No (Disabled)

Include in BIOS Scan

Yes (Enabled)
Advanced Host Adapter: 

Reset SCSI Bus at IC Initialization

Enabled

Display <Ctrl><a> Message During BIOS Initialization

Enabled

Extended BIOS Translation For DOS Drivers > 1 GB

Enabled

Verbose/Silent Mode

Verbose

Host Adapter BIOS

Enabled

Domain Validation

Enabled

Support Removable Disks Under BIOS As Fixed Disks 

Boot Only

BIOS Support For Bootable CD-ROM

Enabled

BIOS Support For Int13 Extensions

Enabled

 

note.gif (505 bytes) NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary.

Table 2. AIC-7899 SCSI Controller Settings

Setting Default
SCSI Bus Interface Definitions
Host Adapter SCSI ID 7
SCSI Parity Checking Enabled
Host Adapter SCSI Termination Enabled
Additional Options
Boot Device Options: 

Boot Channel

A First

Boot SCSI ID

0

Boot LUN Number

0
SCSI Device Configuration: 

Sync Transfer Rate

160 MB/sec

Initiate Wide Negotiation

Yes (Enabled)

Enable Disconnection

Yes (Enabled)

Send Start Unit Command

Yes (Enabled)

Enable Write Back Cache

N/C

BIOS Multiple LUN Support

No (Disabled)

Include in BIOS Scan

Yes (Enabled) 
Advanced Configuration Option:

Reset SCSI Bus at IC Initialization

Enabled

Display <Ctrl><a> Message During BIOS Initialization

Enabled

Extended BIOS Translation For DOS Drivers > 1 GB

Enabled

Verbose/Silent Mode

Verbose

Host Adapter BIOS

Enabled

Domain Validation

Enabled

Support Removable Disks Under BIOS As Fixed Disks 

Disabled

BIOS Support For Bootable CD-ROM

Enabled

BIOS Support For Int13 Extensions

Enabled

 

note.gif (505 bytes) 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:

Boot Device Options

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

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."

Synchronous negotiation is a SCSI feature that allows the host adapter and its attached SCSI devices to transfer data in synchronous mode. Synchronous data transfer is faster than asynchronous data transfer.

The host adapter always responds to synchronous negotiation if the SCSI device initiates it. If neither the host adapter nor the SCSI device initiates synchronous negotiation, data is transferred asynchronously.

Normally, you should leave the Initiate Sync Negotiation setting enabled, because most SCSI devices support synchronous negotiation and because it allows for faster data transfer.

NOTE: Some older SCSI devices do not support synchronous negotiation. This may cause your computer to operate erratically or hang if Initiate Sync Negotiation is set to Yes. Set Initiate Sync Negotiation to No for these devices.

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 is standard SCSI protocol.)

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.

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.

Setting this option to Yes reduces the load on your computer's power supply by allowing the host adapter to start SCSI devices one at a time when you boot your computer. 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.
NOTE: The setting for BIOS Multiple LUN Support must be Enabled if a tape autoloader is connected.

Advanced Host Adapter 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.

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 may 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.

NOTICE: Back up your hard-disk 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-disk drives larger than 1 GB, the 78xx series host adapters include an extended translation scheme that supports hard-disk 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, such as Novell NetWare.

When you partition a hard-disk drive larger than 1 GB, use the 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.

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

If you are booting from a SCSI hard-disk drive connected to the host adapter, the BIOS must be enabled. You should disable the host adapter BIOS if the system never boots to any devices connected to the host adapter.

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 (TM) 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 defaults, press <F6>.

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 partitions and data on the hard-disk drive.

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 computer. Any changes that you made in SCSISelect take effect after the computer boots. (You can select No at the prompt if you are not ready to exit SCSISelect.)


Driver Installation for Microsoft® Windows NT® Server 4.0

This section provides the following information about installing the Dell SCSI drivers for the Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 operating system:

Installation Overview

This section provides the information that you need to install and use the Dell SCSI drivers for the 78xx series of SCSI controllers with Windows NT.

The Windows NT 4.0 driver diskette that you create for the Microsoft Windows NT Server operating system contains the files that you need for driver installation. The scsi subdirectory on the diskette contains the following files to be used with Windows NT:

If you are installing Windows NT for the first time, see "Installing the SCSI Drivers While  Installing Windows NT" to begin driver installation. If Windows NT is already installed in your system, see "Using Windows NT to Install or Update the Driver."

Installing the SCSI Drivers While Installing Windows NT

Windows NT Server 4.0 has SCSI drivers for the Adaptec 78xx series of SCSI controllers integrated into the operating system. When you load the operating system software, the drivers are automatically loaded. However, for proper operation, you must use the drivers on the diskette of drivers that you created from the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD. To install these drivers, perform the following steps:

  1. Boot from the Microsoft Windows NT Server CD, and press <F6> when Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration appears on the screen.

    This action disables automatic detection of any disk controllers.

  2. Load the SCSI driver.

    Press <s> to select the Specify Additional Device option. Select Other, insert the SCSI driver diskette into drive A, and press <Enter>. Select the appropriate driver for your SCSI controller.

  3. Press <Enter> and continue with the setup.

    A list of the installed drivers appears on the screen.

  4. To load additional SCSI drivers, repeat steps 2 and 3.

  5. Press <Enter> to continue the Windows NT Server 4.0 installation and follow the directions on the screen.

Using Windows NT to Install or Update the Driver

This section describes how to install drivers for the Adaptec 78xx series of SCSI controllers. If you are installing Windows NT for the first time, see "Installing Windows NT and the Driver for the First Time."

Perform the following steps only if Windows NT Server 4.0 is already installed:

  1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

  2. Double-click the SCSI Adapters icon.

  3. Click the Driver tab and then click Add.

  4. Click Have Disk.

  5. Insert the Windows NT Server 4.0 driver diskette that you created into drive A.

  6. In the Copy Manufacturer's Files From: field, type a:\scsi\ and click OK.

  7. Select Adaptec AHA-294x/AHA-394x/AHA4944 or 78xx PCI SCSI Controller (NT 4.0). Then click OK.

  8. If the following message appears, click New to replace the existing driver:

    The driver(s) for this SCSI Adapter are already on the system. Do you want to use the currently installed driver(s) or install new one(s).


  9. If the following message appears, type a:\scsi in the dialog box and click Continue:

    Please enter the full path to Adaptec's installation files.


    These files are located in the \scsi directory on the Windows NT Server 4.0 driver diskette.

    The driver is copied from the diskette to your system.

  10. Click Yes when prompted to restart the system and remove the diskette from drive A.

After the system reboots, the new driver is active. Some drive letter assignments may have changed from the previous configuration.

If you need additional assistance, see "Troubleshooting for Microsoft Windows NT."


Driver Installation for Novell® NetWare® 4.2

This section provides the following information about installing and updating the Dell SCSI drivers for Novell NetWare 4.2:

Installation Overview

This subsection provides the information that you need to install and use the Dell SCSI drivers for Novell NetWare 4.2. The Dell SCSI drivers for NetWare support the Adaptec AIC-7899 and AIC-7880 SCSI controllers.

Before you begin installation of the SCSI drivers for NetWare, you must create a diskette of drivers for NetWare 4.2. "Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD" provides instructions for creating these diskettes.

The Dell SCSI drivers for NetWare are fully tested and approved for NetWare. The NetWare scsi subdirectory on the NetWare 4.2 drivers diskette that you create contains files to be used with NetWare 4.2. The files appear in the scsi subdirectory on the NetWare driver diskette.

NOTE: Your system must have a bootable version of DOS installed before you can complete the Novell NetWare installation. 

Installing NetWare 4.2

This section describes how to install the system SCSI drivers at the same time you install NetWare 4.2. If NetWare 4.2 is already installed and you want to install or update the adpu160.ham and aha2940.ham drivers, refer to the NetWare User's Guide for installation instructions. Also, refer to the NetWare User's Guide for information about partitioning, creating a server name, and checking the Internetwork Packet eXchange (IPX) network number.

Before beginning, prepare your system with the Dell intraNetWare support diskette.  Perform the following steps only if you are upgrading to NetWare 4.2 or installing it for the first time:

  1. Make backup copies of all NetWare diskettes and use those backup copies as your working diskettes.

  2. Boot the system to a DOS prompt.

  3. Change to the CD-ROM drive prompt.

    The installation files are located in the root directory on the CD.

  4. Type install and press <Enter>.

  5. Select a language at the language selection screen and press <Enter>.

  6. Select whether you want to perform a simple or custom installation and press <Enter>.

    If you select a simple installation, you can press <F1> to view the defaults for the installation.

  7. If you are prompted to install NetWare symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP), select No.

    Even if you plan to install NetWare SMP, select No at this screen. The intraNetWare Support Pack 4 or later must be applied before NetWare SMP can be installed.

    The system now searches for existing device drivers and hardware.

  8. Press <F3> to continue through the next few screens.

  9. When a screen appears asking you to select a disk driver, press <Ins>.

  10. Insert the backup copy of the NetWare 4.2 driver diskette that you created in step 1 into the diskette drive.

    If you have not already created this diskette, see "Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD" for instructions.

  11. Press <F3>, and type the path to the adpu160.ham driver for NetWare (for example, a:\scsi).

  12. Select the adpu160.ham driver and press <Enter>. 

    The system prompts you for a slot number for the device.
NOTE: Specific help text for each driver appears in the middle of the screen as you scroll down the list. The Loaded Drivers window below the list of available drivers displays the names of drivers that are loaded and operational. For a new installation, this list is initially empty. For a selective installation, the list shows the drivers already running.
  1. Press <Alt><Esc> to switch to the console prompt, type load a:\[path]adpu160.ham, and press <Enter>.

    A list of slot numbers is displayed separated by commas. Write down all slot numbers that are listed and press <Esc> to clear the command line. Press <Alt><Esc> to return to the installation screen.

  2. Enter the slot number for the driver and press <Enter>.

  3. Press <Enter> to save the parameters and continue.

  4. When you are prompted to select an additional disk driver, select Yes.

  5. Repeat steps 13 through 16 for each driver as necessary.

  6. Select Continue the Installation to create disk partitions and system volumes and to specify volume names following the procedures listed in the NetWare User's Guide.

  7. To load the driver automatically at server start-up, make sure that the startup.ncf file includes the load command line and correct slot number for your host adapter. See the NetWare User's Guide for information about editing the startup.ncf file.
note.gif (505 bytes) NOTE: Typically, slot numbers for embedded devices are in the 10,000 range (for example, 10001, 10002), while optional host adapters correspond to the PCI slot numbers (for example, 1, 2, 3).

Driver Installation for Novell NetWare 5.0

This section provides information on installing the SCSI drivers for the Novell NetWare 5.0 operating system. Instructions assume that NetWare 5.0 is installed and operational.

Creating the NetWare 5.0 SCSI Driver Diskette

If you have not already done so, use the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD to create a NetWare 5.0 SCSI driver diskette. See "Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD" for instructions on creating the diskette.

Uninstalling a SCSI Driver

If you are replacing an existing driver (for example, because it has become corrupted or an upgrade has become available), you must first remove the installed driver. To remove a driver, perform the following steps:

  1. At the initial NetWare screen, press <Alt><Esc> to display the NetWare console screen.

  2. At the server prompt, type nwconfig and press <Enter>.

    The NetWare Configuration screen appears, displaying the Configuration Options menu.

  3. At the Configuration Options menu, highlight Driver Options and press <Enter>.

  4. At the Driver Options menu, highlight Configure disk and storage device drivers and press <Enter>.

  5. At the Additional Driver Actions menu, highlight Unload an additional driver and press <Enter>.

  6. At the Selected Disk Drivers menu, highlight the driver that you want to uninstall and press <Enter>.

  7. At the message Driver xxx successfully unloaded, press <Enter>.

    The Additional Driver Actions menu appears.

From the Additional Driver Actions menu, you can repeat steps 5 through 7 to uninstall an additional driver, start with step 5 of the next procedure to install a driver, or press <Esc> to exit.

Installing the SCSI Drivers for NetWare 5.0

To install NetWare 5.0 SCSI drivers from the NetWare 5.0 SCSI driver diskette that you created, perform the following steps:

  1. At the initial NetWare screen, press <Alt><Esc> to display the NetWare console screen.

  2. At the server prompt, type nwconfig and press <Enter>.

    The NetWare Configuration screen appears, displaying the Configuration Options menu.

  3. At the Configuration Options menu, highlight Driver Options and press <Enter>.

  4. At the Driver Options menu, highlight Configure disk and storage device drivers and press <Enter>.

  5. At the Additional Driver Actions menu, highlight Load an additional driver and press <Enter>.

    The software scans the system to determine what drivers are already installed.

  6. When the Select a driver menu appears, insert the NetWare 5.0 SCSI driver diskette into the diskette drive and press <Insert> to install an unlisted driver.

  7. Read the instructions on the screen and press <Enter> to continue.

  8. At the Select a driver to install menu, highlight a desired driver and press <Enter>.

  9. When you are prompted to confirm, highlight Yes and press <Enter>.

  10. To accept the default server boot path that is displayed, press <Enter>.

    The software copies the driver to the selected location.

  11. At the Driver xxx Parameter Actions screen, highlight Select/Modify driver parameters and press <Enter>.

  12. At the Driver Parameters screen, enter the slot number for the selected SCSI host adapter.
NOTE: Typically, slot numbers for embedded devices are in the 10,000 range (for example, 10001, 10002), while optional host adapters correspond to the PCI slot numbers (for example, 1, 2, 3).
  1. Press <F10> to save the parameters and exit.

  2. At the Driver xxx Parameter Actions screen, highlight Save parameter and load driver and press <Enter>.

  3. At the NetWare Configuration screen, confirm that the new driver has been added to the list that is displayed.

  4. Repeat steps 3 through 15 for any additional drivers you want to install.

  5. Press <Esc> three times. At the Exit nwconfig? dialog box, highlight Yes and press <Enter>.

If you need additional assistance, see "Troubleshooting for Novell NetWare."


Using SCSI Devices

The subsections that follow provide procedures and tips on the following topics:

Formatting Media

NetWare's nwconfig.nlm program lets you optionally format a hard-disk drive for use with NetWare. If you are using SCSI drives, the program allows you to low-level format several SCSI drives simultaneously. The NetWare format procedure is not the same as using fdisk or format under DOS.

NOTICE: You should not use NetWare to format a hard-disk drive that contains partitions for other operating systems because that information will be destroyed.

Using Removable Media

The aha2940.ham driver module fully supports removable-media disk drives, including magneto-optical drives. Removable media is treated as a standard SCSI hard-disk drive, with some exceptions:

These removable media options are supported by NetWare's monitor.nlm program.

To set up the removable media, perform the following steps:

  1. Load monitor.nlm to display the various options.

  2. Select Disk Information.

    All system hard-disk drives appear.

  3. Select the removable-media device.

    Drive status options appear as shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Drive Status Options

Menu Option Default
Volume Segments on Drive1 Select for a list
Read After Write Verify1 Hardware Level
Drive Light Status1 Not supported
Driver Operating Status1 Active
Removable Drive Mount Status2 Mounted
Removable Drive Lock Status2 Not Locked

1 Valid for both removable and nonremovable SCSI drives. 
2 Valid for removable media only.

Verify Status

The Read After Write Verify option is set to Hardware Level by default. This option cannot be specified in the startup.ncf or autoexec.ncf file. However, the default can be set on the command line. Refer to the NetWare User's Guide for information about using the load command-line options.

The available options are defined in Table 4.

Table 4. Read After Write Verify Options

Option Setting  Function
Disabled All writes to SCSI disk drives are executed with the SCSI Write command (0Ah or 2Ah).
Hardware Level All writes to SCSI disk drives are executed with the SCSI Write and Verify command (2Eh) or (if this command is not supported by the drive) with the SCSI Write command (0Ah or 2Ah), followed by the SCSI Verify command (2Fh).
Software Level Not supported.

Mount Status

Mounting causes a drive to come online as a NetWare storage device. Dismounted drives are inactive and cannot be accessed.

Before you eject the current media, dismount it. When the mount status is Dismounted, eject the media. However, NetWare does not allow you to dismount media that are locked.

To insert your new media, wait for the drive to spin up, and then select the Removable Drive Mount Status option.

Lock Status

If your removable-media device supports the lock/unlock feature, you can lock the media. The media must be in the Not Locked state before you can eject it.

Using Drives Tested and Approved for NetWare

To be fully certified as NetWare "Yes, Tested and Approved," a drive and host adapter must both pass a qualification process that takes place before you see the product. The goals of NetWare testing are to simplify installation and provide the highest quality disk subsystem.

Adaptec 78xx series host adapters and their drivers are fully tested and approved for NetWare. This means that you can purchase a NetWare drive (certified as "Yes, Tested and Approved") from a vendor, connect it to your computer system or host adapter, partition it, and create a volume without any compatibility concerns.

NOTE: Dell recommends using only Dell-tested drives.

Adaptec's adpu160.ham driver module is flexible enough to allow you to connect SCSI drives that are tested and approved for NetWare as well as standard SCSI drives to a single host adapter. The driver registers each hard-disk drive accordingly.

Drive registration is a user-transparent process; no user interaction is required. You can tell that the drive has been detected as NetWare-tested and NetWare-approved if the message NetWare Yes Tested and Approved is included in the drive description string that appears when you run monitor.nlm (disk options).

Using the NetWare Tape Backup Utility

Included with NetWare is a server-based tape backup utility called sbcon.nlm. This allows backup of server disk drives to a server tape drive. The sbcon.nlm utility supports Adaptec host adapters. To load the backup utility, perform the following steps:

  1. Load the SCSI adapter driver by entering:

    load [pathname]\aha2940.ham [options] slot=x

    The ASPI® layer (nwaspi.cdm) is automatically loaded.

  2. Refer to the Novell NetWare documentation for additional instructions on loading the server backup software. Refer to the NetWare Server Backup User's Guide to load the tsa and sbcon modules.

Setting Up a CD-ROM Drive With NetWare 4.2

To use a CD-ROM drive with NetWare 4.2, perform the following steps:

  1. Ensure that the CD-ROM driver for NetWare 4.2 (aha2940.ham) is loaded. If necessary, load the driver by entering the following command line:

    load [pathname]\aha2940.ham slot=x

  2. Load cdrom.nlm by entering the following command line:

    load [pathname]\cdrom.nlm

  3. Enter the following line at the prompt and then note the number and name of the CD that appears:

    cd device list

  4. Enter the number or volume name of the CD at the command line:

    cd mount [number]

    or

    cd mount [name]

The CD-ROM drive is now ready to be accessed as a volume.


Troubleshooting for Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0

The boot manager for Windows NT Server 4.0 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 Server 4.0 no longer boots, perform the following steps to recover it:

  1. Undo any hardware changes that you have made to the computer since it was last operational.

  2. Reboot the computer. 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

  3. When your computer 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, contact Dell for assistance. See "Getting Help" in the Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for instructions on contacting Dell for technical assistance.

Troubleshooting for Novell NetWare

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

xxx message

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

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 NetWare's 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

No Adaptec 78xx host adapter was found in your computer 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).

206 Invalid 'fixed_disk' setting, use 'off'

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

208 SCSI present but not enabled/configured for PCI

A host adapter is present, but its bus or device entry has not been enabled.


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