[ale] ATAPI vs ide-scsi trouble

[Dow Hurst]

I have been working on a storage solution for our molecular dynamics 
lipid simulations done at the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center.  One of 
our researchers uses the Pitt. computers and then downloads a tar file 
of her data to store here at KSU.  The simulations run into 4Gb of data 
per simulation of up to 2 picoseconds or more of simulation time.  My 
solution is to have her burn a couple of DVDs, with a iso9660 format, of 
the data.  One DVD would stay at KSU and the other would go home with her.

My problem has cropped up with the DVD ATAPI drives having errors such 
as below when trying to access files on the DVD that has been burned and 
verified okay by K3B on SUSE 9.0.  The DVDs have been burned on two 
different DVD burners and are two different DVD disc compositions, one 
is 2x and the other is the newer 4x capable surface.  Both discs have 
exhibited this problem when accessing files thru an ATAPI based DVD 
reader drive:

Dec 24 11:58:02 knife kernel: hdc: irq timeout: error=0x00
Dec 24 11:58:02 knife kernel: hdc: ATAPI reset complete
Dec 24 11:58:02 knife kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), 
sector 7235292
Dec 24 11:58:12 knife kernel: hdc: irq timeout: status=0xd0 { Busy }
Dec 24 11:58:12 knife kernel: hdc: irq timeout: error=0x00
Dec 24 11:58:12 knife kernel: hdc: ATAPI reset complete
Dec 24 11:58:22 knife kernel: hdc: irq timeout: status=0xd0 { Busy }
Dec 24 11:58:22 knife kernel: hdc: irq timeout: error=0x00
Dec 24 11:58:22 knife kernel: hdc: ATAPI reset complete
Dec 24 11:58:22 knife kernel: end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), 
sector 7235296

Now, if I emulate SCSI on the ATAPI drive or if I don't I still get the 
same errors.  I've found this under the Emperor Linux kernel on a Dell 
I8500 laptop running SuSE 8.2, and on a Dell i360n workstation running 
standard RH9 with hyperthreading and the 2.4.20-24.9smp kernel.  Now, on 
that same i360n workstation if I use the Firewire based LaCie DVD-RAM 
burner drive I don't get any errors at all.

So, I think it must be a ATAPI kernel interface problem since the 
firewire uses SCSI-emulation.  What is recommended?  Anyone run into 
this or hear of this kind of problem?  Thanks,
Dow

PS.  The ATAPI DVD drives are readers only.  One is on the Dell 
workstation and one is on the Dell laptop.  I could post specifics on 
the drives if needed, but I am wondering if this isn't hardware related 
but the ATAPI IDE module.

--
__________________________________________________________
Dow Hurst                  Office: 770-499-3428            *
Systems Support Specialist    Fax: 770-423-6744            *
1000 Chastain Rd. Bldg. 12                                 *
Chemistry Department SC428  Email:   dhurst at kennesaw.edu   *
Kennesaw State University         Dow.Hurst at mindspring.com *
Kennesaw, GA 30144                                         *
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