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 ecc(ADM)                        19 June 1992                        ecc(ADM)


 Name

    ecc, eccd - memory Error Correction Code (ECC) facility

 Syntax

    /etc/ecc

 Description

    The memory Error Correction Code (ECC) utilities periodically check RAM
    for single and double-bit errors to increase data integrity.  This fea-
    ture is specific to Corollary smp RAM used in Corollary and Corollary-
    compatible systems.

    The ECC daemon: eccd

    The ECC daemon, or background program, scans the smp RAM checking for
    single bit errors.  Single bit errors themselves are harmless and are au-
    tomatically corrected by hardware.  However, if an additional bit is cor-
    rupted at the same location, a double bit error occurs and the system
    panics.

    The ECC daemon helps avoid double bit errors by informing the system
    administrator of existing single bit errors.  Errors are reported via the
    system console and /usr/adm/messages.  The system administrator should
    periodically check /usr/adm/messages for any single bit error notifica-
    tions and use the ecc utility to map the affected 4K page out of memory.

    The script that controls this process, /etc/idrc.d/ecc, is built manually
    using mkdev eccd.  The /etc/idrc.d/ecc script is thereafter invoked auto-
    matically when the system enters multiuser mode.

    The ecc utility

    The administrator should check periodically for memory ECC errors.  The
    ECC errors are displayed on the console and stored in /usr/adm/messages.
    The messages appear as follows:

    _________________________________________________________________________
    found a single-bit error
    board=n bad_addr=xxxx
    _________________________________________________________________________


    where n is the board number and xxxx is the address of the error.

    ECC errors are mapped and stored in a bad page table using the ecc util-
    ity.  The main ecc menu appears as follows:

    _________________________________________________________________________
            1. Print Current Bad Memory Page Table
            2. Add Entries to Current Bad Memory Page Table
            3. Delete Entries from Current Bad Memory Page Table

    Enter your choice or `q' to quit:
    _________________________________________________________________________


    Option 1 prints the current bad memory page table.  Option 2 is used to
    add new entries to the table.  Option 3 can be used to delete entires
    from the bad page table when memory boards or individual SIMMs have been
    replaced.

    You must reboot the system after modifying the bad page table for it to
    take effect.

 Note

    This utility works only with Corollary smp RAM and compatibles.

 Files

    /dev/ecc                 ECC device
    /etc/idrc.d/ecc          ECC daemon startup script
    /etc/idsd.d/ecc          ECC daemon shutdown script
    /etc/eccdata             bad page table
    /etc/eccdpid             deamon process ID

 Value added

    ecc is an extension of AT&T System V provided by The Santa Cruz Opera-
    tion, Inc.


Typewritten Software • bear@typewritten.org • Edmonds, WA 98026