Conference mvblab::alphaserver_4100

    Re: three EISA slots and four CIPCA options
    
    There are two CIPCA variants available. The PCI-EISA combo and a PCI-PCI
    combo. The latter requires two PCI slots and does not use EISA for power.
    The PCI-PCI variant was only recently qualified on 4100/4000.
    
    NOTE! PCI and EISA slots are mutually exclusive. That is to say, a 4100
    provides a total of eight available PCI/EISA slots. Five PCI-only and
    three PCI *OR* EISA.
    
    Did I interpret your mail correctly? I.e. that you believe the existing
    configuration (listed in .0) should be able to accomodate an additional
    CIPCA option without removing any others? If this is your assumption,
    you'll be saddened to know that it's not possible.
    
    Note that the I/O upgrade to the 4000 (the 4100 can be upgraded as well)
    provides 16 slots (three PCI/EISA and 13 PCI-only). However, this platform
    configuration limits one to a max of two CPUs and two memory pairs (total
    of 4GBs). I believe said upgrade officially ships in April of this year.

Re 1:

	I understand the issue regarding the use of the PCI and EISA,
	however it was my understanding that since the link module was
	only picking up power from the EISA slot that it could be installed
	in one PCI/EISA slot pair.

	In this customers case there is one PCI slot and one EISA slot availble,
	so it appears that on paper a CIPCA or any other PCI option could be
	added. However the link module heat sink is in the way.

	So I'll still missing something in your explanation.

	If I have one PCI-EISA CIPCA installed then I should have seven (7)
	slots available for other PCI options, however I can only use six (6)
	because one slot is blocked by the link module.

		Mike M. 

    The PCI/EISA usage is *mutually exclusive*. Only one connector of a
    PCI/EISA slot pair can be used. The other is by definition unusable.
    
    Given your customer's configuration:

	PCI1-5          DE500   ETHERNET
	PCI1-4          KFPSA   DSSI
	PCI1-3          KFPSA   DSSI
	PCI1-2          KZPDA   SCSI
	PCI0-5 *        CIPCA   PORT MODULE
	EISA-3 *        CIPCA   LINK MODULE
	PCI0-3          DE500 	ETHERNET
	PCI0-2          DEFPA   FDDI

    There is no way to add another option, let alone a two-module option
    such as CIPCA without removing an existing option. All slots have been
    used. PCI0-2 uses up the connectivity associated with both PCI0-2 *and*
    EISA-1. Similarly, PCI0-3 uses up the connectivity associated with both
    PCI0-3 *and* EISA-2. EISA-3 uses up the slot that could otherwise be
    used for connectivty to the PCI0-4 slot. Again, the only way to add a
    new option will be to:
    
      * Remove an existing option (two cards, if the next option added is a
        CIPCA).
      * Order the I/O upgrade kit to upgrade the 4100 to a 4000 + expanded
        I/O (16 total slots, but two CPUs and max of 4GBs of memory).
    
    The four CIPCA statement in the V7.1 cluster config guidelines and the
    SOC (neither of which I have seen) by definition involves a dual-PCI
    card variant of the CIPCA since there are only three EISA slots. In
    addition, three PCI-EISA CIPCA variants in a 4100/4000 implies to me
    cross-cabling between the PCI0 EISA cards and at least two of the PCI
    sister modules of the respective module pairs in PCI1.
    
    Perhaps the documentation needs to be made clearer. I'll forward this
    notes string to someone with access to the documentation you refer to
    to determine whether clarification is in order.

Thanks,

	The relationship of the PCI and EISA's is the part that
	appears to be missunderstood and very poorly documented.

	There appears to be confilicting information in the field as to
	which PCI's and EISA's are assoiated.

	I think it would be very helpfull if the documentation was 
	much clearer as to slot usage, especially around options such as
	the CIPCA.

		Mike M.

    Which documentation in particular are you referring to? There's lots
    out there. Could you be specific as far as documentation, preferably
    right down to the text/pages that you found confusing?
    
    Thanks,
    BC

Bill,

	Sorry for the delay in replying to your request for
	pointers to documentation issues that are causing me
	and possibly other field people confusion.

	    Configuration and Installation guide, EK-4100A-CG.D01
		Diagram PK0615-96 on page 1-22.

	    PCI slot usage decal inside PCI steel cover of 4100.
		Decal part # 36-46176-01 B01

	These two pieces of information contradict what you describe
	in you previous reply to this note.

	I have also discussed slot usage with CSC/RDC personnel who
	have been on 4100 training and have learned that at least one 
	instruction has had the students change the docuementaion to 
	correct what they believed was an error in the diagram of PCI
	slot usage, this again was bad inforamtion, the doc's were right.

	I agree the information you provided is correct and there are
	some correct documents in the field, however there is also wrong
	info as well as noted.

	Based on the documents we had seen it appeared that the CIPCA was
	causing us to lose a slot, this was also the customers view.
	This has been cleared up in this case, there will be others.

		Mike M.