VTL - Receiving "decompression failed -6" errors with HiFN hardware compression card

Asset ID:	1-72-1131534.1
Update Date:	2011-03-29
Keywords:

Solution Type Problem Resolution Sure

Solution 1131534.1 : VTL - Receiving "decompression failed -6" errors with HiFN hardware compression card

Applies to:

Sun StorageTek VTL Plus Storage Appliance - Version: 2.0 - Build 1590d to 2.0 - Build 1656 - Release: 2.0 to 2.0
Information in this document applies to any platform.

Symptoms

Symptoms

Receiving decompression failed -6 errors with hardware compression card.

Sometimes these -6 errors are caused by temporary driver processor resets (grep for h9630 in message file) and notice that the ActualSize and RetSize are equal:

Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx h9630vtl_drv: [ID 457317 kern.warning]  
WARNING: h9630vtl_sync_err_handler() ERROR RECOVER: processing error:  
instance=0, proc=3, error_cnt=1
Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx h9630vtl_drv: [ID 205849 kern.warning]  
WARNING: h9630vtl_sync_err_handler() Result=0xA1400324, Interrupt  
status=0x00000200
Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx h9630vtl_drv: [ID 108322 kern.warning]  
WARNING: h9630vtl_sync_err_handler() Resetting 9630 processor 3
Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx h9630vtl_drv: [ID 879293 kern.notice] NOTICE:  
h9630vtl_proc_reset() Proc reset complete: instance=0, proc_index=3
Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx genunix: [ID 459543 kern.notice]  
<6>[fffffe800751ec80] TLE_ERROR: Temporary Hifn HW Decompression  
failure, return code = -6
Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx genunix: [ID 459543 kern.notice]  
<6>[fffffe800751ec80] TLE_ERROR: READ:Tape:20004077, Decompression  
failed -6, CompSize 254504, ActualSize 262144, RetSize 262144
Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx ipstorcomm [mgtpipe_exec.c:pipe_thread:1816] 
[1376]: [ID 961525 daemon.notice] Rcv'd mgtpipe cmd: 'hardware_problem  
Hardware Compression Card Failed'
Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx genunix: [ID 459543 kern.notice]  
<6>[fffffe800751ec80] TLE_ERROR: 10293: Read Block Failed, Tape  
20004077, THL 4159484416, CurBlockSize 262144
Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx sanidmgr[667]: [ID 702911 daemon.notice]  
IPSTOR||0||E||0x00009cb5||Temporary Hifn Hardware decompression  
failed||-6
Feb  7 19:45:21 xxxxxxxx ipstorcomm: [ID 702911 daemon.notice] IPSTOR|| 
1234053921||W||0x00002901||Attention required event||Hardware  
Compression Card Failed

In most cases (not all) the VTL Console will show a compression HW
failure, but this was not an actual failure, it's was a temporary
processor reset.

Another form of the -6 errors are actual error and note the ActualSize and RetSize are not equal:

Feb  7 19:45:20  xxxxxxxx genunix: [ID 459543 kern.notice]  
<6>[fffffe80024b5c80] TLE_ERROR: READ:Tape:10000411, Decompression  
failed -6, CompSize 258627, ActualSize 262144, RetSize 115
Feb  7 19:45:20  xxxxxxxx genunix: [ID 459543 kern.notice]  
<6>[fffffe80024b5c80] TLE_ERROR: READ:Tape:10000411, Decompression  
failed -6, CompSize 76236, ActualSize 262144, RetSize 31
Feb  7 19:45:20  xxxxxxxx genunix: [ID 459543 kern.notice]  
<6>[fffffe80024b5c80] TLE_ERROR: READ:Tape:10000411, Decompression  
failed -6, CompSize 262122, ActualSize 262144, RetSize 80

These are true decompression errors and must be escalated to VTL engineering via Backline support.

Changes

N/A

Cause

N/A

Solution

Resolution

Determine whether the -6 errors are temporary or true failures, see below.

1. Open VTL server messages file and grep for "h9630":
     - If temporary errors are found:
        "Temporary Hifn HW Decompression failure, return code = -6 "
       then decompression operation will be retried and most likely succeed.

2. If error message shows that "ActualSize" and RetSize" are equal:
   "Decompression failed -6, CompSize 254504, ActualSize 262144, RetSize 262144"
    then these are temporary errors and operation should be redriven by backup app.

3. If error message shows that "ActualSize" and RetSize" are NOT equal:
   "Decompression failed -6, CompSize 250709, ActualSize 262144, RetSize 163"
    then these are true decompression failures and case shoul dbe escalated to VTL Backline.

Also see related Knowledge doc id 1187199.1.

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