  SCSI device integration and testing? 
 The Question is:
 
The OpenVMS faq states that data disks up to 1TB
are supported by openvms. I have attempted to attach
several modern SCSI-2 Disks to a VaxStation 4000-VLC
running 6.0 and and a vaxstation 3100 running 6.2
 
show devices in the prom identifies them properly,
and VMS DK devices are created, but initialize fails
with a fatal drive error. The error log reports
"Invalid mode sense data".
 
  The following report corresponds to an attempt to use a
Samsung WN32162U (2.1GB)
A previous attempt was made with a quantum XP34301  (4.2GB)
I have recently discovered that Seagate ST12400's (2.1 GB)
do not have this problem.
 
 ******************************* ENTRY    2014.
*******************************
 ERROR SEQUENCE 7546.                            LOGGED ON:        SID
14000006
 DATE/TIME 26-DEC-1998 11:53:22.85                            SYS_TYPE
04010102
 SYSTEM UPTIME: 0 DAYS 00:10:22
 SCS NODE: DATA                                                VAX/VMS V6.0
 
 DEVICE ERROR  KA48  CPU FW REV# 6.  CONSOLE FW REV# 0.1
 
 GENERIC DK SUB-SYSTEM, UNIT _DATA$DKA500:
 
       HW REVISION     30303130
                                       HW REVISION = 0100
       ERROR TYPE            06
                                       INVALID MODE SENSE DATA RETURNED
       SCSI ID               05
                                       SCSI ID = 5.
       SCSI LUN              00
                                       SCSI LUN = 0.
       SCSI SUBLUN           00
                                       SCSI SUBLUN = 0.
       PORT STATUS     00000001
                                       %SYSTEM-S-NORMAL, NORMAL SUCCESSFUL
                                        COMPLETION
       SCSI CMD        003F001A
                           0096
                                       MODE SENSE
       SCSI STATUS           00
                                       GOOD
 
 MODE SENSE DATA
 
       MEDIUM TYPE           00
                                       DEFAULT MEDIUM TYPE
       FLAGS                 00
                                       WRITE ENABLED
       BLOCK DESC 1.   75A54000
                       00020000
                                       _DEFAULT DENSITY OF MEDIUM
                                       _NUMBER OF BLOCKS = 4236661.
                                       _BLOCK LENGTH = 512.
 
       PAGE DESC 1.    10800A01
                       00000041
                       00000010
                                       PAGE CODE = 01(X)
                                       ERROR RECOVERY PARAMETERS
                                       _ENABLE AUTOMATIC WRITE REALLOC
                                       _RETRY CNT = 16.
                                       _CORRECTION SPAN = 65.
                                       _HEAD OFFSET CNT = 0.
                                       _DATA STROBE OFFSET CNT = 0.
                                       _RECOVERY TIME LIMIT = 0. MSEC
 
       PAGE DESC 2.    40C00E02
                       00000000
                       00000000
                       00000000
                                       PAGE CODE = 02(X)
                                       DISCONNECT/RECONNECT CONTROL PARAMS
                                       _BUFFER FULL RATIO = 192.
                                       _BUFFER EMPTY RATIO = 64.
                                       _BUS INACTIVITY LIMIT = 0. USEC
                                       _DISCONNECT TIME LIMIT = 0. USEC
                                       _CONNECT TIME LIMIT = 0. USEC
 
       PAGE DESC 3.    69731603
                       00000000
                       DE000000
                       01000002
                       00002400
                       00000040
                                       PAGE CODE = 03(X)
                                       DIRECT ACCESS DEVICE FORMAT PARAMS
                                       _29545. TRACKS/ZONE
                                       _0. ALTERNATE SECTORS/ZONE
                                       _0. ALTERNATE TRACKS/ZONE
                                       _0. ALTERNATE TRACKS/VOL
                                       _222. SECTORS/TRACK
                                       _512. DATA BYTES/PHYS SECTOR
                                       _1. INTERLEAVE
                                       _TRACK SKEW FACTOR = 36.
                                       _CYLINDER SKEW FACTOR = 0.
                                       _HARD SECTOR
 
       PAGE DESC 4.    17001604
                       17000415
                       15170015
                       00000000
                       00000000
                       00001815
                                       PAGE CODE = 04(X)
                                       RIGID DISK DRIVE GEOMETRY PARAMS
                                       _NUMBER OF CYLINDERS = 5909.
                                       _NUMBER OF HEADS = 4.
                                       _START CYL WRITE PRECOMP = 5909.
                                       _START CYL REDUCE WRITE CURR = 5909.
                                       _DRIVE STEP RATE = 0.
                                       _LANDING ZONE CYL = 0.
 
       PAGE DESC 5.    00040A08
                       00000001
                       80008000
                                       PAGE CODE = 08(X)
                                       RESERVED
 
       PAGE DESC 6.    0000060A
                       00000000
                                       PAGE CODE = 0A(X)
                                       RESERVED
 
       PAGE DESC 7.    0080160C
                       00001000
                       00020000
                       04151700
                       00000000
                       08100000
                                       PAGE CODE = 0C(X)
                                       RESERVED
 
       PAGE DESC 8.    00000A0D
                       00000000
                       00000000
                                       PAGE CODE = 0D(X)
                                       RESERVED
 
       PAGE DESC 9.    41530E33
                       0000534D
                       00000000
                       00000000
                                       PAGE CODE = 33(X)
                                       VENDOR UNIQUE PAGE FORMATS
       UCB$B_ERTCNT          04
                                       4. RETRIES REMAINING
       UCB$B_ERTMAX          00
                                       0. RETRIES ALLOWABLE
       ORB$L_OWNER     00010004
                                       OWNER UIC [001,004]
       UCB$L_CHAR      1CC54008
                                       DIRECTORY STRUCTURED
                                       FILE ORIENTED
                                       SHARABLE
                                       AVAILABLE
                                       ERROR LOGGING
                                       ALLOCATED
                                       CAPABLE OF INPUT
                                       CAPABLE OF OUTPUT
                                       RANDOM ACCESS
       UCB$W_STS           0000
       UCB$L_OPCNT     00000000
                                       0. QIO'S THIS UNIT
       UCB$W_ERRCNT        0001
                                       1. ERRORS THIS UNIT
       IRP$W_BCNT          0000
                                       TRANSFER SIZE 0. BYTE(S)
       IRP$W_BOFF          0000
                                       TRANSFER PAGE ALIGNED
       IRP$L_PID       00010036
                                       REQUESTOR "PID"
       IRP$Q_IOSB      00000001
                       00160000        IOSB, 0. BYTE(S) TRANSFERRED
 
 
 
 The Answer is:
 
  A discussion of the maximum disk capacity is an entirely, wholely,
  completely, and wildly different discussion than that of third-party
  SCSI disk device integration, testing, and support.
 
  The Wizard is not in a position to perform the necessary SCSI device
  integration and testing required for SCSI devices -- extensive SCSI
  device qualification and testing is required before a device can be
  considered supported, and most (all?) SCSI devices will typically
  require firmware changes of various sorts.  In the Wizard's direct
  experience in this area, the amount of effort involved can range from
  trivial changes to the device mode pages (eg: ARRE and ARWE must be
  disabled prior to V6.2, while V6.2 and later will tolerate the current
  device settings) to extensive changes to the device hardware and
  firmware, and/or potentially to extensive changes to the host SCSI
  controller and device drivers.
 
  Given that you are using third-party disks and are apparently not
  familiar with the steps necessary to resolve the expected differences
  among various SCSI implementations, the Wizard would make certain you
  are operating on OpenVMS VAX V6.2 -- there are inconsistencies in your
  text around the particular version of OpenVMS in use.  V6.2 and later
  also have the SYS$ETC:SCSI_INFO.EXE tool, which can be used to examine
  the current settings of the mode pages resident in the SCSI device.
 
  Also be aware that SCSI-2 has a limit of approximately 16 GB, though
  some vendors have implemented non-standard extensions to SCSI-2 to
  bypass this limit.
 
  As for SCSI device support, Compaq goes to great lengths to integrate,
  test, and support the subsystems that it sells.  It is Compaq's position
  that primary support for third party products is the responsibility of
  the vendor concerned.  Compaq holds this position both for its own
  products, and for those sold by others for use on Compaq's server
  platforms.
 
  While Compaq cannot ensure the same high level of qualification
  and integration for third party products that is provided for
  products sold by Compaq, Compaq will ensure that the Compaq server
  and system platforms meet the appropriate open system standards, and
  that nothing will be done to inhibit either technically or from a
  business perspective the ability of Compaq servers to work with other
  vendor's products.  In the event a problem occurs, Compaq will work
  diligently to ensure that the Compaq components are not the cause.
 
  Suggestions:
 
    Ask the vendor if the widget has been tested in a configuration
    similar to that proposed here.
 
    Ask the vendor if they claim the configuration is supported.  (Also
    consider asking what process was used to determine this support.)
 
    Ask the vendor how they will work with Compaq if a problem is found,
    to help the customer and Compaq to identify the source of the problem.
 
  NB: While you are next examining the OpenVMS FAQ, please also see
  the warnings around the VAXstation 3100 system disk capacity limits.
 
