# [SOLVED] SCSI Hitachi Ultrastar // 516bytes sector size

## treffer

Hi,

I have four 36GB Hitachi Ultrastar DK32EJ-36NW with a Symbios controller. (U2W/LVD)

The drives are correctly dectected and doing the spinup, direkt disk format works fine, but it's impossible to use the drives because of the 516 bytes sector size (see dmesg output [1]).

scsiinfo [2] shows settings that differ from the Manufactory defaults [3]. However the drive refuses to change the sector size (scsiinfo -fXR does not give an error but does not change anything, we've also tried sg_info and the controller format util which should change sector size). The drives were part of a raid system, it might be the same problem as described here: help needed with fibre channel disk (how can I format?)

Can anyone tell me

- How to set the sector size with a software tool or

- How to clear the nvram/reset the drive parameters or

- where to get a copy of the working firmware for the device to flash the drive (and how to flash it)

There is no important data on the drive (several direct drive formats passed). 

Thanks in advance. 

[SOLUTION]

We have contacted the Hitachi Support and they gave us everything we needed!

[1] 

dmesg 

```

sym0: <895a> rev 0x1 at pci 0000:00:09.0 irq 6 

sym0: Symbios NVRAM, ID 15, Fast-40, LVD, parity checking 

sym0: open drain IRQ line driver, using on-chip SRAM 

sym0: using LOAD/STORE-based firmware. 

sym0: handling phase mismatch from SCRIPTS. 

sym0: SCSI BUS has been reset. 

scsi0 : sym-2.2.3 

target0:0:1: Multiple LUNs disabled in NVRAM 

Vendor: HITACHI Model: DK32EJ-36NW Rev: K1K1 

Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 03 

target0:0:1: tagged command queuing enabled, command queue depth 16. 

target0:0:1: Beginning Domain Validation 

target0:0:1: asynchronous 

target0:0:1: wide asynchronous 

target0:0:1: FAST-40 WIDE SCSI 80.0 MB/s ST (25 ns, offset 31) 

target0:0:1: Domain Validation skipping write tests 

target0:0:1: Ending Domain Validation 

sda : unsupported sector size 516. 

SCSI device sda: 0 512-byte hdwr sectors (0 MB) 

sda: Write Protect is off 

sda: Mode Sense: c3 00 10 08 

SCSI device sda: drive cache: write through w/ FUA 

sd 0:0:1:0: Attached scsi disk sda 

target0:0:4: Multiple LUNs disabled in NVRAM 

target0:0:8: Multiple LUNs disabled in NVRAM 

```

[2] 

scsiinfo -f /dev/sda 

```

Data from Format Device Page 

---------------------------- 

Removable Medium 0 

Supports Hard Sectoring 1 

Supports Soft Sectoring 0 

Addresses assigned by surface 0 

Tracks per Zone 7665 

Alternate sectors per zone 14910 

Alternate tracks per zone 21 

Alternate tracks per lun 336 

Sectors per track 710 

Bytes per sector 516 

Interleave 1 

Track skew factor 83 

Cylinder skew factor 155 

```

[3] 

scsiinfo -fM /dev/sda 

(-M = Manufactory defaults) 

```

Data from Format Device Page 

---------------------------- 

Removable Medium 0 

Supports Hard Sectoring 1 

Supports Soft Sectoring 0 

Addresses assigned by surface 0 

Tracks per Zone 7665 

Alternate sectors per zone 14994 

Alternate tracks per zone 21 

Alternate tracks per lun 336 

Sectors per track 714 

Bytes per sector 512 

Interleave 1 

Track skew factor 84 

Cylinder skew factor 156 

```

[EDIT #1]

Substituted missleading "lowlevel format", the term was used in a wrong way.

[EDIT #2]

Changed subject to includes [solved]

[EDIT #3]

added [SOLUTION]

----------

## NeddySeagoon

treffer,

You cannot actually do a low level format (write sector and track address marks) to a voice-coil head actuator drive. All drives have been made that way for a long time now. Low level format information is held on a read only platter, along with the track alignment information that allows the heads to be dynamically repositioned on the track as trhe drive rotates.

All a low level format does now is reads the disk.

When voice-coil head actuator drives were first introduced to PCs, the servo platter (on some drives) was not read only, this was unfortunate for the users that attempted a low level format, since it erased the servo information, rendering the drive useless.

Its unlikely a drive firmware change will fix this for you, although, I suppose it could be made to lie about the sector size and cover up for the actual larger sectors.

----------

## treffer

Thanks for your reply.

I didn't believe it is trivial, however it should be possible according to the technical specification (http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/48BDF449EE74698A86256EE70077520C, DK32EJ-NC/NW Product Specifications):

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> ...
> 
> Bytes/sector (see Note 3) 512, 516, 520, 524, 528,1024 Bytes
> ...

 

So several different byte-per-sector layouts should be supported and it should be possible to change the setting. However changing the sector size fails.

By lowlevel format I meant the direct hd format done by the controler or the hitachi tools without respecting any partition table or the mbr.

The term was used for a very special format on older disks, I wasn't aware of that, so my statement on that was simply wrong! Thanks for the correction.

Any further ideas/hints?

----------

## NeddySeagoon

treffer,

Being a hardware guy, my next step would be to connect a bus analyser to the scsi bus and see if it was actially getting the format device commad that you are sending, or if the sector size is being ignored. 

The next best thing, is to try another plain ordinary SCSI adaptor, in case the format device SCSI command is being intercepted somehow.

----------

## treffer

Ok, but the controller actually prefers a 512bytes/sector and tries to change the sector size as soon as you try to format the drive with the controller. Additionally reading drive parameters, doing a drive check or formating the drive (with the hitachi tools) works flawless (and the drive's led indicates drive activity).

So I expect the commands to reach the drive. Otherwise I can't understand why most of the basic stuff works (except deleting the mbr - which schould be 512 bytes anyway). Especially reading the scsi modes works, but not writing. Is there a chance that a hardware related problem could block these commands (the read-only jumper of the drive is not set)? In this case I would try to format the drive with another known-good controller/cable pair...

Thanks in advance.

----------

## NeddySeagoon

treffer,

After you use the SCSI format command, do you need to power cycle the drive to get it to report the new block size?

----------

## treffer

We have finally contacted the Hitachi Support and they gave us a special tool to change the sector size. The whole procedure isn't trivial, and the tool is rather complicated (aka not for end users), but it worked after some try and error  :Wink: 

So if you run into the same problem with your hitachi drive, contact the hitachi support, they will help you - seriously! I was stunned by the quality of there support - we got a working solution within two working days - wow, great job!

We have still hundreds of Seagte Cheetah 9GB drives with the same problem... [yes, literally hundreds]

Thanks for all replies!

----------

