HELP: Troubles with local disks in Suns

[Alcatel-ELIN Forsch.z.]

Hi netlanders - could YOU help - where Sun (MUC) is NOT able to ?

Following Problem:
Before SunOS 4.1 I configured the kernels of our Suns this way:

/sys/sun4/config/<name>
config vmunix root on type nfs swap on sd0b

The local disk has 2 partitions of nearly the same size
partition "a" with filesystem mounted on /local_disk
partition "b" no filesystem (swap on spec)

/tmp is a softlink to a directory on the local disk
/tmp -> /local_disk/tmp
(Additional there are some more directories on the local disk, like
/var/spool/mqueue, var/spool/lpd).

This configuraton worked fine for YEARS (SunOS 3.5 - SunOS 4.0.3).

NOW writing to /tmp (NOT READING) after booting in multiuser mode,
e.g. by starting sunview results in an error:

pos=0; i=0; fs=/local_disk
panic: alloccgblk: can't find blk in cyl

NOW:
Using newfs (+mkfs) from SunOS 4.0.3 to create this filesystem on the local disk
used under SunOS 4.1 works without any problem (OS4.1 has unlimited inodes).
I have this problem on Sun 4/40 (IPC) using the 207MB Maxtor, on 4.6x using
the 104MB disk, on a 3/60 using a 207MB Maxtor - I didn't try with our
Seagates, Wrens, HPs !

SUN MUC has no answer to this question !!! (for 6 weeks up to now !)
They looked into their database and didn't find anything until now.
I sent them a crash dump, but "they can't see anything in it !"

I was told "This is not a standard configuration" !
May be they think it is stupid to swap on a local disk if you have a net
with only >50 Suns, 1 Server 4/490, some Vaxes, 50 PCs, 
it would be better to overload the net.

If Sun should solve MY problem, because until now nobody has heard 
about such a problem on a Sun, we should order them to do so.
And if they don't find a bug in their OS, we will have to pay for it.
They told me, they are not able to configure ONE SINGLE machine
(2 if you count the server) to have the problem ONLINE -
because it would cost man power to do so !!!!

(we pay already for maintenance for 50 machines at our site, 
If they can't lookup a solution for a bug (found by anybody else) 
in their database, so that they have to work theirself, you will have to pay !

Additional I had a similar problem using a HP 97548S.
Heavy write access to this disk (mounted as any additional file system 
- NOT / or /usr ) by using for example "tar" to extract files from a tape to
store them on this filesystem - results in the same error as above.
Writing single files or reading operations - like in normal use -
seems to make no problem.


If there is interest, I could post a summary if there is a solution !

kr.
Gucky

ATTENTION !
Please do NOT use "[rR]" for replies - I posted this article not on my machine/
account because I have troubles SENDING mails > 2k.
Please reply to the address below or send follow ups !
THANX !

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