Update on my problems with a CPU/Memory upgrade on a 2.0.36 machine using an Adaptec 1542B - points

Anthony Barbachan (barbacha@Hinako.AMBusiness.com)
Fri, 26 Mar 1999 04:06:40 -0500

I posted a note about getting low DMA buffers warnings on a server after
upgrade it from a Pentium 75 with 16MB of memory to 90Mhz and 32MB
respectively. This problem degraded on at least two occasions to crashes
related to SCSI devices. Once when mounting a CD that was in a SCSI CD-ROM
the warnings flashed, then it said switching to I/O and then it died. The
other death only occurred on a SCSI hard drive in which no response of any
kind emerged and every program that accessed that drive froze in the middle
of its access, to a point of being unkillable. Because of the problems and
suggestions that the problem may be hardware related I decided to upgrade to
2.2.3 and see if that resolved the situation. It did, other problems did
appear but they were all due to the changes in the kernel not the same ones
as before. It has been about two days since the upgrade. Previously the
low DMA buffers warnings appeared everyday, probably during the scheduled
backups and also when accessing the SCSI CD-ROM. Both kernels were compiled
with gcc v2.7.2.3 and the Adaptec driver was compiled as a module. In any
case since the original problems have been resolved by the kernel upgrade it
appears to be that there must be a bug in the Adaptec 1542 driver that is
included in 2.0.36. It may be an issue that may want to be resolved by
2.0.37. Thank you.

- A. Barbachan

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