Surface scan for Freebsd

[Lowell Gilbert]

Jer <jer at multihaven.org> writes:

> I have a feeling one of my disks is going south
> Oct 28 11:28:40 computer /kernel: ad1: WRITE command timeout tag=0
> serv=0 -
> resetting
> Oct 28 11:28:40 computer /kernel: ata0: resetting devices .. done
> Oct 28 11:28:55 computer /kernel: ad1: WRITE command timeout tag=0
> serv=0 -
> resetting
> Oct 28 11:28:55 computer /kernel: ata0: resetting devices .. done
> Oct 28 11:29:06 computer /kernel: ad1: WRITE command timeout tag=0
> serv=0 -
> resetting
> Oct 28 11:29:06 computer /kernel: ata0: resetting devices .. done

Actually, this doesn't show any signs of problems with the disk
surface itself.  The firmware on the drive is failing to report back
when the disk controller was execpecting it to.  I think the drive
cable is the most common problem when this occurs, although the drive
or the controller can be reponsible too.

I've been getting these messages on my -STABLE machine for the last
couple of weeks or so whenever the disk is stressed.  I haven't yet
gotten around to trying a new drive cable.

> how can i do a surgace scan of sorts so I can make them with badblock?

Aside from the fact that you're treating the wrong problem, you can't
do that within FreeBSD.  Modern drives do such sophisticated bad-block
mapping internally that it is no longer worthwhile to maintain such
facilities in the OS.