The ChiefUtils tool set was created by Chief engineers
on the basis of their daily experience from inspecting and recovering data from countless hard disks. Initially, these tools were
meant for internal use only, but they were later expanded and improved to meet the needs of Chief's customers.
Chief Utilities may be used to examine and diagnose hard disks that were formatted with a variety of operating systems: DOS, MAC-OS, NOVELL, AS400, VAX, RS6000, etc.
LOGINCHK, the protection system for individual workstations on a network, only needs to be installed on the network server in order to
get activated each time a user logs into the network. This protection system copies all of the critical system files of each workstation onto the server, and enables the Network supervisor to create an individual rescue diskette for each separate PC. Armed with this diskette, the supervisor can then diagnose and fix the problem on the spot.
Chief Utils enables network supervisors to accurately examine both individual hard disks and file servers designated for use in a sensitive or classified environment before they are formatted. Proper use of Chief Utils can not only fix hard disk problems once they occur, but can predict when they will take place months before the damage happens.
Chief Utils enables network supervisors to accurately examine both individual hard disks and file servers designated for use in a sensitive or classified environment before they are formatted. Proper use of Chief Utils can not only fix hard disk problems once they occur, but can predict when they will take place months before the damage happens.
The
SRVCHK program backs up all of the critical disk information of the file server and allows a Network Administrator to restore a server even after REMOVE VOLUME has been performed. Whether the disk has crashed due to mechanical, electrical, or external reasons such as fire or flooding, SRVCHK will lead its user through the necessary steps to recover a downed File Server.
Diagnosis of the damaged system begins using the
DID program which, within seconds, will indicate whether the hard disk in question is installed according to the instructions of the manufacturer and the system environment. The program allows to simultaneously view a number of disk definitions on the system. Using DID, it is possible to immediately identify the source of the problem. In the event that the disk information is not in sync with the computer's definition of the disk, the Network Administrator can immediately fix the problem, thereby saving hours of down time. All of the disk information as they were defined by the manufacturer may be printed, including the serial number printed on the outside of the disk. The disk information allows for careful disk tracking, especially the serial number which can prevent theft and can protect sensitive data.
After it is determined whether the disk is accurately installed, the next step is checking the read-write activity of the disk using HDSCAN in order to predict the likelihood of future disk failure. HDSCAN checks every sector of the disk, regardless of the operating system that is installed on it. Most importantly, HDSCAN may be used to scrutinize new, unformatted disks in order to determine whether they are worth using.
HDSCAN may be used to determine which sectors of the disk are weak, very weak or bad, thereby enabling Network Administrators to predict the future health of the disk. The stringency of the tests used may be modified to up to a 1% variance. Rigorous testing of all new hard disks can be used to evaluate whether a particular model is appropriate for holding sensitive or classified data. The program does not write anything to the disk and does not try to fix problems that arise during the scanning procedure. Rather, the program may be used a s a diagnostic tool by Network Administrators to establish the nature of the problem and the necessary solution.
In order to protect the system over time, the HDSCAN saves the details of the scan to a file. Repeated check-ups may be compared to previous ones in order to establish a pattern of degradation. If it is determined that the quantity of errors has significantly increased from scan to scan, it can be assumed that the disk is on the road to mechanical failure. Thereafter, this disk should be treated cautiously. At this point, Chief would recommend moving the disk to a less sensitive or critical area of the network and replacing it with a more reliable one.
Home 
