1 03/26/85 exercise_disk
 2 
 3 Syntax as a command:  exercise_disk disk_type volume_id {-control_args}
 4 
 5 
 6 Function:  exercises a disk drive.  Maximal arm motion occurs all over
 7 the disk, and data is written and read back later for checking at each
 8 point.  This activity can be used to make unstable drives fail
 9 repeatedly.
10 
11 
12 Arguments:
13 disk_type
14    a valid Multics disk device type (e.g., d451, d500, and d501).
15 volume_id
16    the label of the disk pack on which the test is to be run.
17 
18 
19 Control arguments:
20 -alternate_track, -altrk
21    removes the alternate track area of the disk from the test
22    parameters.  The default is to use the entire pack.
23 -device STR, -dv STR
24    specifies the device on which you want to run the test, where STR
25    can be dska_02, dskb_13, etc.).  Either this control argument or the
26    assign_resource (ar) command must be used to attach an I/O disk.
27 -from M, -fm M
28    sets the lower limit of the range of addresses to be tested to M,
29    where M is a decimal integer specifying a valid cylinder number for
30    the device to be tested.
31 
32 
33 -no_data_compare, -ndc
34    makes no data compare on the read pass; only errors detected by the
35    hardware are reported.  This enables testing of a disk pack without
36    knowing what data is recorded on it.  The default is to compare the
37    data with a known pattern.
38 -random
39    the test performs random rather than sequential seeks; the test
40    takes several hours.  This is the default.
41 -read, -r
42    reads back the information on the disk pack, for checking purposes.
43    The default is -write_read.
44 -sequential, -sq
45    the test runs sequentially, writing and reading from sector 0.
46 
47 
48 -to N
49    sets the high limit of the range of addresses to be tested to N,
50    where N is a decimal integer specifying a valid cylinder number for
51    the device to be tested.
52 -write, -w
53    writes a known pattern over the entire disk pack.  The default is
54    -write_read.
55 -write_read, -wr
56    writes a known pattern over the entire disk pack, and then reads
57    this information back for checking purposes.  This is the default.
58 
59 
60 Notes:  The exercise_disk command requests the mounting of a scratch
61 pack.
62 
63 The assign_resource command must be used in conjunction with this
64 command to exercise a given drive.  Such drives must be configured as
65 user I/O drives (nonstorage system) via the udsk config card (described
66 in the Multics System Maintenance Procedures manual, Order No.  AM81)
67 or by the use of the set_drive_usage (sdu) initializer command.
68 
69 
70 When the -from or -to control arguments are used, testing is confined
71 to the range of addresses specified.  The seek pattern used in this
72 mode is from inner cylinder to outer cylinder, with M incrementing to N
73 or the maximum address of the device, and N decrementing to M or
74 cylinder zero.  When M reaches its inner limit, the pattern is
75 repeated.  Testing continues until you stop it, by hitting the break
76 key and then typing the release (rl) command.