I've been using dd to test some of my hard drives and just ran into the
oddest of coincidences.
I used this command (or variation without the time command)
# time dd if=/dev/rwd0c of=/dev/null
on three machines with three HDD's of sizes 40GB SATA, 40GB IDE and 30GB
IDE, one of those 40GB (SATA) drives was in my workstation. The result
is basically the same: x number of bytes transferred, etc. with no
problems. They are all a few years old. I bought a brand-new Seagate
Barracuda SATA/1.5TB/7200/32MB, installed it into my workstation and ran
the same test to get this:
# dd if=/dev/rwd0c of=/dev/null
dd: /dev/rwd0c: Input/output error
268435455+0 records in
268435455+0 records out
137438952960 bytes transferred in 23763.827 secs (5783536 bytes/sec)
What got me doing that in the first place was my workstation locking up
hard 3 times in the past few weeks. I have no idea why, nothing in the
system logs, etc, and the only change was the HDD. I figured the drive
was defective, ran the above test, and returned it for a replacement.
While there, I also picked up a WD 500GB SATA drive and installed that
in my workstation (to be pre-built and installed in another PC), which
gave this result:
# time dd if=/dev/rwd0c of=/dev/null
976773168+0 records in
976773168+0 records out
500107862016 bytes transferred in 93283.067 secs (5361186 bytes/sec)
1554m43.06s real (etc)
No I/O error, so it should be good. That's 2 drives ok (40 and 500 GB)
and 1 drive bad in the same PC, now for the 2nd new 1.5TB drive:
dd: /dev/rwd0c: Input/output error
268435455+0 records in
268435455+0 records out
137438952960 bytes transferred in 23740.766 secs (5789154 bytes/sec)
395m40.76s real (etc)
Oh, another crappy drive, I guess I have bad luck. Probably from a bad
batch or something. But wait...
Look at the amounts transferred. Exactly the same for both of the 1.5TB
drives, and I assure you it's not accidentally the same drive, just the
exact same make / model. The cables / connections are good on known
good hardware, plus two other different drives were fine. It can't be
some odd variable limit (or similar thing) because the 500GB values went
well beyond where the 1.5TB drives crapped out.
I don't believe it's the hardware (other than the drive), nor the
software, but seeing those numbers being identical down to the byte is
either incredibly coincidental or .. ? I'm going to run the test again,
but as you can see from the time it won't be done for another 6.5
hours. Betcha it'll be the same.
Can anyone think of a plausible explanation for this, other than maybe a
bad batch where the drives are all equally defective at the exact same
spot? While I'm here, can anyone recommend another tool than dd for
testing drives? Seems to me with those numbers, to finish a 1.5TB drive
it'll take around 76 hours. I don't mind the time, I need
thoroughness. It's better than having a workstation (or server)
mysteriously lock up after the 30-day return/exchange is over.
Just in case, here's a dmesg with some errors at the bottom regarding
the drive.
OpenBSD 4.6-stable (GENERIC.MP) #0: Sat Dec 26 23:19:02 EST 2009
r...@blackstaff.erratic.ca:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/GENERIC.MP
cpu0: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz ("GenuineIntel" 686-class) 3.20 GHz
cpu0:
FPU,V86,DE,PSE,TSC,MSR,PAE,MCE,CX8,APIC,SEP,MTRR,PGE,MCA,CMOV,PAT,PSE36,CFLUSH,DS
,ACPI,MMX,FXSR,SSE,SSE2,SS,HTT,TM,SBF,SSE3,MWAIT,DS-CPL,EST,CNXT-ID,CX16,xTPR
real mem = 1061974016 (1012MB)
avail mem = 1018036224 (970MB)
mainbus0 at root
bios0 at mainbus0: AT/286+ BIOS, date 02/14/06, BIOS32 rev. 0 @ 0xfd61a,
SMBIOS rev. 2.
34 @ 0xf0320 (59 entries)
bios0: vendor IBM version "2EKT33AUS" date 02/14/2006
bios0: IBM 8215W97
acpi0 at bios0: rev 0
acpi0: tables DSDT FACP TCPA MCFG APIC BOOT ASF! SSDT
acpi0: wakeup devices AZAL(S3) EXP0(S5) EXP1(S5) USB1(S3) USB2(S3)
USB3(S3) USB4(S3) US
BE(S3) SLOT(S5) KBC_(S3) PSM_(S3) COMA(S5) COMB(S5)
acpitimer0 at acpi0: 3579545 Hz, 24 bits
acpimadt0 at acpi0 addr 0xfee00000: PC-AT compat
cpu0 at mainbus0: apid 0 (boot processor)
cpu0: apic clock running at 199MHz
cpu1 at mainbus0: apid 1 (application processor)
cpu1: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz ("GenuineIntel" 686-class) 3.20 GHz
cpu1:
FPU,V86,DE,PSE,TSC,MSR,PAE,MCE,CX8,APIC,SEP,MTRR,PGE,MCA,CMOV,PAT,PSE36,CFLUSH,DS
,ACPI,MMX,FXSR,SSE,SSE2,SS,HTT,TM,SBF,SSE3,MWAIT,DS-CPL,EST,CNXT-ID,CX16,xTPR
ioapic0 at mainbus0: apid 2 pa 0xfec00000, version 20, 24 pins
acpiprt0 at acpi0: bus 0 (PCI0)
acpiprt1 at acpi0: bus -1 (PEG_)
acpiprt2 at acpi0: bus 2 (EXP0)
acpiprt3 at acpi0: bus 4 (EXP1)
acpiprt4 at acpi0: bus 10 (SLOT)
acpicpu0 at acpi0: FVS, 1600, 1400 MHz
acpicpu1 at acpi0: FVS, 1600, 1400 MHz
acpitz0 at acpi0: critical temperature 255 degC
acpibtn0 at acpi0: PWRB
bios0: ROM list: 0xc0000/0xac00! 0xcb000/0x1000 0xcc000/0x1000
0xcd000/0x800 0xe0000/0x
1800!
pci0 at mainbus0 bus 0: configuration mode 1 (bios)
pchb0 at pci0 dev 0 function 0 "Intel 82945G Host" rev 0x02
vga1 at pci0 dev 2 function 0 "Intel 82945G Video" rev 0x02
wsdisplay0 at vga1 mux 1: console (80x25, vt100 emulation)
wsdisplay0: screen 1-5 added (80x25, vt100 emulation)
intagp0 at vga1
agp0 at intagp0: aperture at 0xc0000000, size 0x10000000
inteldrm0 at vga1: apic 2 int 16 (irq 5)
drm0 at inteldrm0
"Intel 82945G Video" rev 0x02 at pci0 dev 2 function 1 not configured
azalia0 at pci0 dev 27 function 0 "Intel 82801GB HD Audio" rev 0x01:
apic 2 int 22 (irq
9)
azalia0: codecs: Analog Devices AD1981HD
audio0 at azalia0
ppb0 at pci0 dev 28 function 0 "Intel 82801GB PCIE" rev 0x01: apic 2 int
17 (irq 11)
pci1 at ppb0 bus 2
em0 at pci1 dev 0 function 0 "Intel PRO/1000MT (82573E)" rev 0x03: apic
2 int 16 (irq 5
), address 00:10:c6:b5:c1:72
ppb1 at pci0 dev 28 function 1 "Intel 82801GB PCIE" rev 0x01: apic 2 int
16 (irq 5)
pci2 at ppb1 bus 4
uhci0 at pci0 dev 29 function 0 "Intel 82801GB USB" rev 0x01: apic 2 int
23 (irq 11)
uhci1 at pci0 dev 29 function 1 "Intel 82801GB USB" rev 0x01: apic 2 int
19 (irq 9)
uhci2 at pci0 dev 29 function 2 "Intel 82801GB USB" rev 0x01: apic 2 int
18 (irq 10)
uhci3 at pci0 dev 29 function 3 "Intel 82801GB USB" rev 0x01: apic 2 int
16 (irq 5)
ehci0 at pci0 dev 29 function 7 "Intel 82801GB USB" rev 0x01: apic 2 int
23 (irq 11)
usb0 at ehci0: USB revision 2.0
uhub0 at usb0 "Intel EHCI root hub" rev 2.00/1.00 addr 1
ppb2 at pci0 dev 30 function 0 "Intel 82801BA Hub-to-PCI" rev 0xe1
pci3 at ppb2 bus 10
xl0 at pci3 dev 9 function 0 "3Com 3c905C 100Base-TX" rev 0x74: apic 2
int 21 (irq 7),
address 00:01:02:3b:a6:d1
bmtphy0 at xl0 phy 24: 3C905C internal PHY, rev. 6
ichpcib0 at pci0 dev 31 function 0 "Intel 82801GB LPC" rev 0x01: PM disabled
pciide0 at pci0 dev 31 function 2 "Intel 82801GB SATA" rev 0x01: DMA,
channel 0 wired t
o compatibility, channel 1 wired to compatibility
wd0 at pciide0 channel 0 drive 0: <ST31500341AS>
wd0: 16-sector PIO, LBA48, 1430799MB, 2930277168 sectors
wd0(pciide0:0:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 5
atapiscsi0 at pciide0 channel 1 drive 0
scsibus0 at atapiscsi0: 2 targets
cd0 at scsibus0 targ 0 lun 0: <HL-DT-ST, DVDRAM GSA-4163B, AX13> ATAPI
5/cdrom removable
cd0(pciide0:1:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 4
ichiic0 at pci0 dev 31 function 3 "Intel 82801GB SMBus" rev 0x01: apic 2
int 19 (irq 9)
iic0 at ichiic0
adt0 at iic0 addr 0x2e: lm96000 rev 0x68
spdmem0 at iic0 addr 0x50: 512MB DDR2 SDRAM non-parity PC2-4200CL5
spdmem1 at iic0 addr 0x52: 512MB DDR2 SDRAM non-parity PC2-5300CL5
usb1 at uhci0: USB revision 1.0
uhub1 at usb1 "Intel UHCI root hub" rev 1.00/1.00 addr 1
usb2 at uhci1: USB revision 1.0
uhub2 at usb2 "Intel UHCI root hub" rev 1.00/1.00 addr 1
usb3 at uhci2: USB revision 1.0
uhub3 at usb3 "Intel UHCI root hub" rev 1.00/1.00 addr 1
usb4 at uhci3: USB revision 1.0
uhub4 at usb4 "Intel UHCI root hub" rev 1.00/1.00 addr 1
isa0 at ichpcib0
isadma0 at isa0
com0 at isa0 port 0x3f8/8 irq 4: ns16550a, 16 byte fifo
com1 at isa0 port 0x2f8/8 irq 3: ns16550a, 16 byte fifo
pckbc0 at isa0 port 0x60/5
pckbd0 at pckbc0 (kbd slot)
pckbc0: using irq 1 for kbd slot
wskbd0 at pckbd0: console keyboard, using wsdisplay0
pcppi0 at isa0 port 0x61
midi0 at pcppi0: <PC speaker>
spkr0 at pcppi0
npx0 at isa0 port 0xf0/16: reported by CPUID; using exception 16
fdc0 at isa0 port 0x3f0/6 irq 6 drq 2
fd0 at fdc0 drive 0: 1.44MB 80 cyl, 2 head, 18 sec
mtrr: Pentium Pro MTRR support
uhub5 at uhub4 port 1 "Dell Dell USB Keyboard Hub" rev 1.10/2.00 addr 2
uhidev0 at uhub5 port 1 configuration 1 interface 0 "Dell Dell USB
Keyboard" rev 1.10/2
.00 addr 3
uhidev0: iclass 3/1
ukbd0 at uhidev0: 8 modifier keys, 6 key codes
wskbd1 at ukbd0 mux 1
wskbd1: connecting to wsdisplay0
uhidev1 at uhub5 port 1 configuration 1 interface 1 "Dell Dell USB
Keyboard" rev 1.10/2
.00 addr 3
uhidev1: iclass 3/0, 3 report ids
uhid0 at uhidev1 reportid 1: input=1, output=0, feature=0
uhid1 at uhidev1 reportid 2: input=1, output=0, feature=0
uhid2 at uhidev1 reportid 3: input=3, output=0, feature=0
uhidev2 at uhub4 port 2 configuration 1 interface 0 "Logitech USB
Optical Mouse" rev 2.
00/43.01 addr 4
uhidev2: iclass 3/1
ums0 at uhidev2: 3 buttons, Z dir
wsmouse0 at ums0 mux 0
softraid0 at root
root on wd0a swap on wd0b dump on wd0b
wd0c: id not found reading fsbn 268435455 (wd0 bn 268435455; cn 16709 tn
85 sn 15), ret
rying
wd0c: id not found reading fsbn 268435455 (wd0 bn 268435455; cn 16709 tn
85 sn 15), ret
rying
wd0c: id not found reading fsbn 268435455 (wd0 bn 268435455; cn 16709 tn
85 sn 15), ret
rying
wd0: transfer error, downgrading to Ultra-DMA mode 4
wd0(pciide0:0:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 4
wd0c: id not found reading fsbn 268435455 (wd0 bn 268435455; cn 16709 tn
85 sn 15), ret
rying
wd0c: id not found reading fsbn 268435455 (wd0 bn 268435455; cn 16709 tn
85 sn 15), ret
rying
wd0c: id not found reading fsbn 268435455 (wd0 bn 268435455; cn 16709 tn
85 sn 15)
(END)
--
-RSM
http://www.erratic.ca
