Computer geeks only: Solaris 8 Disksuite internals question

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crfriend
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Computer geeks only: Solaris 8 Disksuite internals question

Post by crfriend »

This is not just "off-topic" but way, way, way off-topic. If you're not a CS type with Sun-specific experience, you may as well stop reading.

I've got an array of disks on a 1990s-vintage computer that's pretty much as the books say has "kicked the bucket". It's a RAID-5 array of 36 GB disks where one went into "Maintenance" mode a while ago and just recently another went into "Last Erred". The former, and its data, are likely intact, and what I'm after on the array are several years old (or more) and likely stable.

Is there any way to hand-hack the metadevice-status database to clear the "Maintenance" bit so I can see if I can recover a decade-worth of GOES-13 imagery?
Retrocomputing -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure!
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Re: Computer geeks only: Solaris 8 Disksuite internals quest

Post by beachlion »

I have a nephew who worked for Sun in California years ago. I don't know his field of expertise. If you think he could help you I can send him a mail. I only know at some time he was doing "things" with Ethernet. At my shipyard we had a Sun system for the CAD and Solaris sounds familiar too.
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crfriend
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Re: Computer geeks only: Solaris 8 Disksuite internals quest

Post by crfriend »

beachlion wrote:I have a nephew who worked for Sun in California years ago. I don't know his field of expertise. If you think he could help you I can send him a mail. I only know at some time he was doing "things" with Ethernet. At my shipyard we had a Sun system for the CAD and Solaris sounds familiar too.
If he was working at the kernel level of the OS and was doing things with disks and the RAID drivers I'd be rather keen to have some insight. This, though, is entirely likely going to need someone with knowledge beyond the written word in the various manuals I've seen, and which will be buried fairly deeply in a kernel module.

As to my current plight, I'm imaging as many of the still-functioning drives as I can onto alternate media (and with my "practise what one preaches" mentality I can say with large certainty there are times when that hurts) which will likely take a week or more.

If it wouldn't put anyone's nose out of joint I'd appreciate an introduction. PM me if this is possible and I'll pass along my personal e-mail address. There's no rush whatsoever -- see above.
Retrocomputing -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure!
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beachlion
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Re: Computer geeks only: Solaris 8 Disksuite internals quest

Post by beachlion »

I will copy both your messages in the mail to the nephew and go from there.
All progress takes place outside the comfort zone - M J Bobak
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