Translator Regeneration

[spekyteky]

Hi Guys,
I am using PC-3000 SAS to try and clear G-List from seagate HDD Model ST973451SS....i am pretty new to all this and have been informed that by running the "Translator Regenerator" function within the utility will help me to acheive this.....when i run it i receive the error

"Reading Module 43 RWOperParm...........k, CS: error (WSum)
Translator recalculation error; invalid regime code

Test Interrupted

Am i missing something? Can someone advise me or guide me as to why this is happening?

P.s. I did do a backup before hand using "Resource master copy creation in DB

[guru]

I would contact Acelab

[lcoughey]

Are you sure that the translator is the problem with the drive. My experience has been with SAS drives, they either have just bad sectors or they have fatal head crashes. I rarely see much in the middle.

[spekyteky]

Hi Luke,
Thanks for the reply...to be honest i am not sure....basically i am trying to clear the G-List from the drive....have you had aNY SUCCESS IN DOING THIS USING pc-3000 sas? If so could or would you be willing to give me some pointers ?

Brian

[guru]

Brian, IMHO PC3000 SAS is a bit useless, especially if your trying to refurb SAS HDD

[spekyteky]

always straight to the point Guru So are you saying that its best for Data recovery purposes Guru? All i am wanting to do is clear the G-List as you know....if i can/cant do that using PC-3000 then it wil at least let me explore other avenues.....what software would yourself recommend for such a task i have already purchased the PC-3000 SAS KIT i would hate it to go to waste but if you reckon there are other or better software for that task then i would appreciate the advice Guru......

[labtech]

Due to the low ROI on SCSI/SAS refurbishing of drives, not too many people have experience in this area.
Most people use PC3K SAS to image faulty drives for recovery purposes.

But you can do some testing of your own and look for patterns, for example:
You get an error on one drive, try on another, and another. Does the error show up consistently? If not, then maybe the issue is relegated to just that one drive, maybe that one model, or family, etc.

[guru]

Hi Brian,

Can't help you, sorry. Good luck anyway

[spekyteky]

Hi Labtech
Please find attached some screen dumps hope they help if you need anymore info from me regarding this please feel free to ask

Brian

Attachments

[labtech]

I am not as knowledgeable with PC3000 SAS and firmware on SCSI/SAS drives, but module 43 has a checksum error. Module 43 is likely a G-List/Translator type of module. Since it is corrupt, it sort of makes sense why you can't "clear the g-list" and likely why LBA access is not possible.

The utility can read the module, but my interpretation is it is corrupt, hence why checksum does not check. Could be because of corruption or bad sector in the space that the module occupies.

Reading the module and see if it has bad sectors will allow you to get a better idea whether the issue is one or the other.

[spekyteky]

I have emailed Ace technical department to ask them if maybe it is an issue with PC-3000 Software and Card somehow.....it seems this is pretty new technology as far as the SAS Drive sode of it goes as this issue is showing on every SAS drive i am connecting...if maybe 1 or 2 drives then i would be inclined to think otherwise but not every hard drive.....I have read the module but all it tells me is the same information in the screen dumps......i have viewed it in hex and have attached a screen dump..........Brian

[labtech]

Are those SAS drives various models OR the exact same model?

[spekyteky]

Yes all the same model...ST9734511S........

[labtech]

Very interesting. So, maybe it is just an issue with this model drive.

[spekyteky]

Quite possibly....i emailed Ace Labs and there tech department have passed it onto there developers so i am still waiting on a reply.....Could be a bug? when you use the "Universal Utility" there is a command "check translator" and when i run that it reads/writes ok...it does warn me that all information on the drive will be lost....but when i run the seagate part of the utility and use the "Regenarate Translator" command it fails everytime......would "checking the Translator erase the G-List do you think? I have had some success on clearing the G-List on a few drives and i am wondering if that is why....Curious.....Brian

[labtech]

would "checking the Translator erase the G-List do you think?

No

I have had some success on clearing the G-List on a few drives and i am wondering if that is why....Curious.....Brian

This is the statement that confuses me. On which model drive were you able to successfully clear the g-list?

[spekyteky]

On the same model labtech....if your confused imagine what my heads like lol.....
Spildit ill try what your suggesting and get back to you's.....Thank you

[labtech]

On the same model labtech...

Alright, so then it can't a bug or so with PC3K SAS. As it does not make sense the complex works on some drives of the same model and other does not.

There is something with the specific drives that does not allow clearing of g-list. Have to dig deeper. Check the module for bad sectors by looking at the content. Compare headers and content with a module from a good drive that you were to fix. Recalculate checksum. So, if you could actually write anything to the drive in the service area. If you can't, then drives probably have heads issues. So, a lot more testing needs to be done.

[spekyteky]

Would there be another software/hardware tool availible that i could use to clear the G-List from SAS Drives ???

[spekyteky]

All sorted Labtech....i spoke with technical at ace labs and they passed the information to there developers and they released an update which seems to have sorted it out....Thanks for the help and i am sure i will be back lol......much appreciated

Brian