The SCSI CD-ROM Expert Tool provides low-level device functions to test, or examine a CD-ROM device in depth. The SCSI CD-ROM Expert Tool is fully interactive, with its own set of pulldown menus.
File pulldown menu
Save As - Save tool's main window
Print - Print tool's main window
Exit - Exits tool and returns to main STM prompt
Info pulldown menu
Capacity - Displays the characteristics and capacity of the medium
Inquiry - Displays product information for the device
Tests pulldown menu
Selftest - Starts the internal power-on selftest for the device
Seek Test pulldown menu
Alternate - Causes the drive to perform seeks between two specified addresses
Butterfly - Causes the drive to perform seeks over the entire CD-ROM surface
Random - Causes the drive to perform a seek to a random address
Verify - Verifies data on a selected or random area on the drive's media.
Utility pulldown menu
Read - Reads and displays the contents of a logical block
Read Long - Reads and displays the contents of a "long" logical block
Options pulldown menu
Display Format pulldown menu
Interpreted - Causes data or logs to be displayed in ASCII format
Hex/Interpreted - Causes data or logs to be displayed in ASCII/hex formats
Help pulldown menu
General Help - Displays online help for the Expert_Tool_Template
Display Version - Displays version and copyright information
Control-C - Interrupts or aborts execution of tool; escape to the user
interface.
The SCSI CD-ROM Expert Tool allows low-level access to SCSI CD-ROM
devices by issuing SCSI commands.
Although this tool uses the term "SCSI", the real name for the protocol is SCSI-2. SCSI-2 is a popular standard protocol for a class of devices such as disks and tapes. SCSI-2 includes:
If you experience problems, consult the Troubleshooting Tool-Related Problems help topic.
To run the SCSI CD-ROM Expert Tool on a device:
If you want to test several devices simultaneously, select one unit, start an instance of the expert tool, select another device, start another instance of the expert tool, and so forth.
The following procedure is one possible method for troubleshooting
devices. The idea is to perform quick tests first to find easy
problems then to perform more time-consuming tests to find less
obvious problems.
To troubleshoot a suspect device:
Alternately, you can do stress testing from within the expert tool, for example:
If you run into problems, see the Troubleshooting Tool-Related Problems help topic.
Consult the Failure Log (for failures) and the Test Activity Log, accessible from the main STM screen.
Make sure the device is connected, powered on, and on-line. You could try running the verifier on the device to see why the device is not responding.
The SCSI CD-ROM Expert Tool requires a license to operate. Install the license at the main cstm prompt and try to run the tool again.
The SCSI CD-ROM Expert Tool offers the following commands and
pulldown menu:
The Save As command in the File pulldown menu saves the contents of tool's main window. ( Only the most recent 200 lines can be saved.)
The Print command in the the File pulldown menu prints the contents of tool's main window. ( Only the most recent 200 lines can be printed. )
Use the "Exit" command to leave the SCSI CD-ROM Expert Tool and return to the main STM window.
The "Capacity" command displays the following information for the selected device:
Running this command is a quick way to check if the device is responding.
The "Inquiry" command displays the following information for the selected device:
Running this command is a quick way to check if the device is responding.
The "Selftest" command starts the internal power-on selftest for the selected device. Tests are device-dependent and are described in the support documentation for each drive.
After selecting the test, you are queried for the number of loops for the test to execute (default is 1).
The "Alternate" command causes the drive to perform seeks between two specified addresses. The command is useful for testing the servo circuitry (head positioning mechanism).
After selecting the test, you are queried for the addresses of the two blocks between which the seek is performed. You are also queried for the number of loops for the test to execute (default is 1).
The "Butterfly" command causes the drive to perform a series of seeks over the entire CD-ROM. The test moves the drive heads between the innermost track and the outmost track, then works its way towards the center of the CD-ROM. The command is useful for testing the servo circuitry (head positioning mechanism).
NOTE: The Butterfly command can take a long time to execute.
The "Random" command causes the drive to perform a seek to a random address. The command is useful for testing the servo circuitry (head positioning mechanism).
After selecting the test, you are queried for the number of loops for the test to execute (default is 1).
The "Verify" command verifies the data on a selected or random area on the surface of the drive's media.
After you start the test, you are queried for:
If you choose "Random Area" option, the tool randomly generates a start address and an end address for verification. All blocks in this range are tested sequentially. This option is useful when you want to exercise the drive but are not concerned about a specific area.
If you choose "Selected Area" option, you specify a "Start Block Address" and an "End Block Address" for verification. All blocks in this range are tested sequentially.
For each loop (iteration), the Verify command sequentially verifies the range of blocks randomly selected or that you have selected.
The "Read" command reads any block of data on the selected device into a buffer for examination.
By default, the data is displayed in both hexadecimal and its ASCII equivalent. You can optionally choose to turn off the display of data.
The command only buffers one block of data at a time, so multiple read operations overwrite the previous content of the buffer.
The "Read Long" command reads any long block on the selected device into a buffer for examination. A "long" block contains the standard data field and the additional header field on each block. This header field also contains the ECC information for the given block of data.
By default, the data is displayed in both hexadecimal and its ASCII equivalent. You can optionally choose to turn off the display of data.
The command only buffers one block of data at a time, so multiple read operations overwrite the previous content of the buffer.
The "Interpreted" command causes internal status data or logs to be displayed or printed in an interpreted (ASCII) format.
/Interpreted
The "Hex/Interpreted" command causes internal status data or logs to be displayed or printed in both an interpreted format and a hexadecimal format.
The "General Help" command displays online help for the SCSI Disk Expert Tool (the help system you are currently viewing).
For online help on STM as a whole, use the Help menu in the STM main window.
The " Version" command displays version and copyright information for the SCSI Disk Expert Tool.
Pressing Control-C (CNTL-C) allows you to interrupt or abort execution of tool, or to escape to the user interface. After you press Control-C, the following function keys are displayed:
The ESCAPE TO UI function key allows you to disconnect from the currently executing tool and return to the main User Interface (UI) command level. To reconnect to the tool, use the Attach to Tool menu item in the Tools->Tool Management pulldown menu.
The INTERRUPT function key allows you to interrupt the tool.
When the tool receives the interrupt, it stops whatever it is doing and asks you if you want to continue with the operation. If the reply is "Continue", the tool resumes what it was doing at the time of the interrupt. If the reply is "Abort", it terminates the operation and returns to the SCSI Disk Expert Tool main menu.
The tool may not immediately receive the interrupt as it could be in the middle of an operation that should not or could not be interrupted. The interrupt is received as soon as the tool completes the operation.
The tool will receive and ignore user interrupts when it is already in the process of returning to the main pulldown menu of the tool.
The ABORT pulldown menu allows you to abort the tool.
The tool will be requested to abort and the state of the tool execution in the system map will be set to ABORT_PENDING. When the tool actually exits, its state will be set to ABORTED.
The CONTINUE function key allows you to continue with tool execution. The tool will continue execution just as if the Control-C keys had not been pressed.