| See comments below. ===> Jim
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Note 6337.0 Need help with VS4000-60, PMAZ-xx & RZ28?-VA's... No replies
AMCUCS::SWIERKOWSKI "Quot homines tot sententiae" 64 lines 23-JAN-1997 12:55
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Greetings!
I think I've scanned every note with "RZ28", "VAXstation 4000-60", "PMAZ"
and the like and I'm still confused so here goes;
Proposed Configuration:
-----------------------
- 1 VAXstation 4000 - Model 60 (Console Firmware 1.4)
- 1 BA350 Deskside StorageWorks expansion box w/ 7 RZ28M-VA's connected to the
VAXstation's integral SCSI bus (one of these disks will be the boot disk for
OpenVMS VAX V6.1) - no internal disks in system enclosure.
- 1 DWCTX-BX TURBOchannel Adaptor module in the VAXstation
- 1 PMAZ-BB TURBOchannel SCSI bus controller in the VAXstation
NOTE: Is the PMAZ-BB functionally equivalent to the PMAZ-AA? (The SOC's I
have don't list the PMAZ-BB, but I can get one through DIAL. I also checked
out using the PMAZC-xx dual SCSI bus controller, but it is *not* listed as
an option for VAXstation's in any of the SOC's I have.
- 1 BA350 Deskside StorageWorks expansion box w/ 7 RZ28M-VA's connected to
to the PMAZ-BB's SCSI bus (all will be non-boot disks).
I've already got the base VAXstation, I can get the TURBOchannel Adaptor and
TURBOchannel SCSI controller easily enough. I've got the two BA350's, *but*
I'm not sure about the RZ28?-VA's. One note said use RZ28-VA's (hard to find)
another said use RZ28B-VA's (easier to find). I can get all the RZ28M-VA's I
want.
Questions:
----------
1) The bottom line is; "will the above collection of bits & pieces work?"
===>The PMAZ-BB is the unknown. The -AB is the correct version. We still
sell them so if you need to go that route, order one.
===>If you load this system up with nothing but disk drives, how will
you back it up? You ARE going to back up a production system. RIGHT???
2) Do I need to watch firmware rev levels on the disks themselves?
===>Order RZ29B-VA's and don't bother with the 2nd SCSI bus, unless
you really need it. External (only) RZ29B's are now qual'd. See the
Nov '96 SOC. RZ28M-VA's are qualified too.
3) Do I need to watch firmware rev levels on the PMAZ-BB SCSI controller?
===>Get the right one if you need the 2nd SCSI bus.
4) Is cabling from the integral SCSI bus to the first BA350 going to be a
problem length-wise?
===>I recommend 1 meter cables. The shorter the better.
5) Is cabling from the PMAZ-BB to the second BA350 going to be a problem
length-wise?
===>Same as #4
My boss isn't going to be too happy if I order up 14 disks that won't work
when its all bolted together and/or is "flaky" in some way since this system is
for our group's "production" use day-to-day and the whole package needs to be
really stable. A Sales Update article announcing the RZ28M-xx indicated that
it replaces the RZ28-xx and RZ28B-xx, but only listed newer and/or Alpha-based
disk controllers *not* the PMAZ-xx.
Unfortunately for other reasons, I'm stuck maintaining the existing VAX-based
system for some time to come so Alpha-specific configuration information isn't
going to do me any good. Any "gotchas" or other things to check for would be
gratefully accepted before I go off on a spending spree, cheers...
Tony Swierkowski
Digital Equipment Corporation
Software Partner Engineering
Palo Alto, California
(415) 617-3601
"[email protected]"
===>Nothing wrong with a VAX. You may want to plan on migrating to
VMS 7.1 now that it's out.
|
| Greetings!
And thanks for the feedback! To answer some of your questions/concerns:
Backups are being handled by a second system I'm using as a "backup server"
and the nature of the data is that only 7 (of the 14 disks) on the "boot server"
described in my base note will ever get backed up anyway. The "backup server"
also has tapes and CD-ROM's attached to it on it's integral SCSI bus and once
I get a TURBOchannel adaptor/controller for it, I'll continue the present disk-
to-disk image backups from the "boot server" I've been using for some years now.
using a third BA350 full of RZ28M-VA's attached to that "backup server".
I found a reference to the assorted PMAZ-xx in COMETS and apparently the only
difference in variants like -AA , -AB, -BA and -BB is whether it includes a
cable or not and whether it is "Field Installable" or "Factory Installed", etc.
I can get the PMAZ-BB off of DIAL, but I'm not going to be able to order the
PMAZ-AB (only type listed in VTX PRICE). I'm hopeful I can use the PMAZ-BB if
the only difference between it and the PMAZ-AB is the lack of a cable (which I
can scare up locally).
Good to hear that RZ28M-VA's will work, it turns out we already have a bunch
of them that my boss wants me to "make work" so I don't have to order any off of
DIAL. Using RZ29?-VA's isn't an option (we have hundreds, but they are spoken
for already). Thanks again for your feedback (now off to order TURBOchannel
adaptors and controllers off of DIAL and pilfer a bunch of RZ28M-VA's from my
co-worker!), cheers...
Tony Swierkowski
Digital Equipment Corporation
Software Partner Engineering
Palo Alto, California
(415) 617-3601
"[email protected]"
|