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Conference ssag::ask_ssag

Title:Ask the Storage Architecture Group
Notice:Check out our web page at http://www-starch.shr.dec.com
Moderator:SSAG::TERZAN
Created:Wed Oct 15 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:6756
Total number of notes:25276

6752.0. "9.1GB drive support (PBXRW-SA) for AlphaStation 600?" by BLOFLY::SMITHP (Beware the knights who say "NT"...) Wed Jun 04 1997 23:21

    Customer wishes to purchase and install two new 9.1GB Ultra-wide drives
    (-PBXRW-SA) in an AlphaStation 600A 5/500.  These are listed in eprice
    as "...for Alphastations"
    
    Will these work in the AlphaStation 600 ?  Will the internal fast-wide
    SCSI correctly negotiate with the ultra drive to operate in wide mode ?
    
    
    Thanks,
    
    Peter Smith
    Workstation Sales/Sydney
    
    {X-posted in ALPHASTATION and ASK_SSAG}
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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6752.1Additional questions...BLOFLY::SMITHPBeware the knights who say "NT"...Wed Jun 04 1997 23:3714
    Additional questions : 
    
    1. Someone mentioned you cannot mix ultra-wide and wide-SCSI drives on
       a wide-SCSI bus.  Is this correct ?
    
    2. As an alternative, can I install the QLogic controller (-KZPBA-CA)
       in the AlphaStation 600 and cable the 9GB drives separately ?  
    
       Is a firmware upgrade required, and do I need to order a cable kit ?
    
    
    Thanks,
    
    Peter.
6752.2here we go again....SUBSYS::VIDIOT::PATENAUDEAsk your boss for ARRAY's...Thu Jun 05 1997 09:4217
Just like when we went from narrow to wide, now fast-10 to ultra (AKA: fast-20
;^)

Ultra is negotiated "up to" and a fast-10 controller is incapable of doing this.
So, by default the Ultra capable drive stays fast-10. To answer your question,
it will work. Is it supported is the REAL issue.

What you do NOT want to do is use Ultra drives on a Ultra controller and have
old SCSI-2 interconnects (greater than 1.5M of bus, old shelfs with old
personality modules, old BN21K, BC09D, etc,, cables) between them. You must have
ULTRA qualified components.

KZPBA-CA is supported on a limited set of platforms today. The DPW500a is the
main one. 

roger.
6752.3MSE1::PCOTEpress one now for personal nameFri Jun 06 1997 06:539

>old SCSI-2 interconnects (greater than 1.5M of bus, old shelfs with old
>personality modules, old BN21K, BC09D, etc,, cables) between them. You must have ULTRA qualified components.

 I didn't think it was possible to connect the "old" SCSI-P cabling
 to the ultra scsi controllers (kzpba/3944uw) due to a different style
 connector.
6752.4The single-ended KZPBA-CA uses HD68 pinSUBSYS::WOJDAKFri Jun 06 1997 07:584
    The KZPBA-CA still uses a HD68 pin connector.The KZPBA-DB
    (differential) uses the VHDCI connector.
    
                     Rich
6752.5thanks rich..SUBSYS::VIDIOT::PATENAUDEAsk your boss for ARRAY's...Fri Jun 06 1997 08:5213
Rich is correct. A KZPBA-CA will connect to a BN21K-02 and a BA356 with a normal
16bit personality card. All is well if you use RZ2x drives (Fast-10 only). BUT,
if you use RZ1xx (Ultra drives) and you O/S is capable of turning Ultra on, BAD
NEWS. NOT SUPPORTED, BUS HANGS, Data integrity problems, ect...

Bottom line; read the manuals and only use ULTRA qualified products in ULTRA
mode.

More will be forthcoming in the line of configurations and restriction
guidelines.

roger.