redhat AS 3.0 update 1 SATA problems

[Rick Stevens]

Neil McFadyen wrote:
> I am trying to run redhat AS 3.0 update 1 on a new intel SE7505VB2
> motherboard
> with 2 SATA disks, 1 - 120GB Western Digitial and the 2nd is a 200GB
> SATA western digital
> 
> the / is on the first disk and works ok
> however the partition table on the second disk keeps getting corrupted,
> it loses its label and the partition has to be re-created and the
> filesystem rebuilt
> 
> eg fdisk /dev/hdg
> n
> p
> 1
> w
> then  mk2efs -L /export /dev/hdg1
> and tune2fs -j /dev/hdg1  to make it a ext3 filesystem

Why not "mke2fs -j -L /export /dev/hdg1" instead of two commands?

> copying files to and from the 2nd disk results in io errors and finally
> a total lost partition table and Label
> 
> I also had a Adaptec 2410a (ATA raid) with 2 160GB disk in the same
> computer, and had similar problems, I removed it hoping it would solve
> the above problem but it did not.
> 
> I am left to think that redhat AS 3.0 update 1 is not compatible with
> this motherboard

I'm more likely to suspect your RAM.  Filesystems don't just "corrupt"
for no reason.  Unless the driver is flakey (unlikely), I'd really
check your RAM.

Since you had your machine open switching cards and such, shut the thing
down and unplug ALL PCI cards, your RAM and your CPU and reinstall them.
The connectors sometimes get dirty or the card slightly misaligns with
the connector when the case flexes as you lift it.  Reseating the cards
will often fix this sort of glitch.

Also download and run memtest86 (http://www.memtest86.com) and run that
to test your RAM.  I can't tell you how many machines have marginal RAM
in them and start acting weird.  I've had four crap out this week alone.
Filesystem corruption is one of the primary indications of flakey RAM
or PCI busses.

> Has anyone been able to install it and use 2 disks, or some other raid
> controller

Try the above stuff.  I'll bet you'll find the problem there.
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- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
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-        "And on the seventh day, He exited from append mode."       -
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