matt@holmes.home.nwu.edu (Matthew Larson) (07/16/89)
I'm running SCO 386 XENIX 2.3.2 with a Seagate ST-4096 80 megabyte hard disk
and I'm considering trying to run it RLL with an Adaptec 2372 controller.
Is it bad news to try to run MFM drives RLL, or does it depend on the
particular drive? Has anyone tried the 4096? Does anyone have an RLL
that they like better than the 2372? And, finally, are there any
XENIX repercussions of using an RLL controller that I should know about?
Thanks in advance.
--
Matt Larson Internet: matt@holmes.home.nwu.edu
Voice: (815) 226-3961 (day) UUCP: ...!{oddjob,gargoyle}!nucsrl!holmes!matt
"I believe in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things." - Dirk Gentlykarl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) (07/17/89)
In article <227@holmes.home.nwu.edu> matt@holmes.home.nwu.edu (Matthew Larson) writes: >I'm running SCO 386 XENIX 2.3.2 with a Seagate ST-4096 80 megabyte hard disk >and I'm considering trying to run it RLL with an Adaptec 2372 controller. >Is it bad news to try to run MFM drives RLL, or does it depend on the >particular drive? Has anyone tried the 4096? Does anyone have an RLL >that they like better than the 2372? And, finally, are there any >XENIX repercussions of using an RLL controller that I should know about? Most of them work fine. But not all. Check CAREFULLY with some disk analysis software (if you have it available) before you put important things on the drive, and even then keep good backups. We have done this, and had it work. We've also seen it fail. I prefer the WD1006-V/SR2 controller over the ACB2372A. The WD is track buffered -- the ACB is not. That is the biggest difference, and it is quite noticable from the performance standpoint; the WD is some 3 times faster than the ACB board! (then again, we sell the WD boards... :-) -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"
debra@alice.UUCP (Paul De Bra) (07/17/89)
In article <227@holmes.home.nwu.edu> matt@holmes.home.nwu.edu (Matthew Larson) writes: >I'm running SCO 386 XENIX 2.3.2 with a Seagate ST-4096 80 megabyte hard disk >and I'm considering trying to run it RLL with an Adaptec 2372 controller. >Is it bad news to try to run MFM drives RLL, or does it depend on the >particular drive? Has anyone tried the 4096? Does anyone have an RLL >that they like better than the 2372? And, finally, are there any >XENIX repercussions of using an RLL controller that I should know about? > As far as I know Seagate makes just one kind of drive which they sell both as a 80Mbyte MFM and a 120Mbyte RLL drive. There are 2 points of consideration, which unfortunately are contradictory: 1) they supposedly test drives (i.e. media quality) before they label them and the ones that are good enough become RLL drives, the others MFM. 2) there is a much larger demand for the MFM drive than for the RLL drive, so lots of drives that are good enough for RLL are being sold as MFM. So if you gen a 4096 you may or may not have one that failed in 1) or one that didn't fail but was labeled 4096 because of 2). Paul. -- ------------------------------------------------------ |debra@research.att.com | uunet!research!debra | ------------------------------------------------------
davidsen@sungod.crd.ge.com (William Davidsen) (07/18/89)
I have had 4 for 4 with new 4096's, 1 for 2 with old (> 20k POH). This
works well. The one which wouldn't RLL died a month later with about 3
years (full time) operation.
bill davidsen (davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM)
{uunet | philabs}!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -memacy@fmsystm.UUCP (Macy Hallock) (07/21/89)
In article <227@holmes.home.nwu.edu> matt@holmes.home.nwu.edu (Matthew Larson) writes: >I'm running SCO 386 XENIX 2.3.2 with a Seagate ST-4096 80 megabyte hard disk >and I'm considering trying to run it RLL with an Adaptec 2372 controller. We have used the 2372 with SCO Xenix 2.2.1 and 2.3.1 with excellent results on several machines. I prefer the original 2372 (AT size card) over the current 2372B, becasue I like the setup program in the card bios better. >Is it bad news to try to run MFM drives RLL, or does it depend on the >particular drive? Has anyone tried the 4096? Does anyone have an RLL >that they like better than the 2372? And, finally, are there any >XENIX repercussions of using an RLL controller that I should know about? Seagate gests testy about running RLL on a disk they have released as MFM. I'm told it voids the warranty and they will not repair it under any circumstances, warranty or not (but who uses Seagate for out of warranty repairs, anyway?). It should be noted that I am no fan of Seagate, but this is not intended to be a flame of Seagate. I have had good success running MFM disks on the Adaptec 2372 RLL controller. I suggest you do some intensive disk testing before you place the disk in service, such as several destructive scans using SCO disk initialization routines. Personally, what I do is set up the disk for DOS and use Prime Solutions Disk Technician Advanced to perform several "monthly" tests (very thorough) and then print out the error reports. These reports are then used to spare out the bad sectors in a re-setup of the disk, then SCO Xenix is installed. I have cut my disk errors considerably with this procedure on several machines (both DOS and Xenix). Note: Xenix and DOS will not live on the disk together if the disk is 1024 cylinders or more uithout some special considerations. I cannot personlly vouch for the 4096, I have not used them. My only real problem with the Adaptec 2372 is they are often in short supply. You can use the 2370 and an separate floppy controller anyway. We have tested the 2370/2372 in a two controller setup in SCO Xenix 2.3.X with execellent result (just set the jumpers on the second controller correctly). We have stopped using WD controllers and now specify the 2372/2370 as our standard product issue. Macy Hallock fmsystm!macy@NCoast.ORG F M Systems, Inc. hal!ncoast!fmsystm!macy 150 Highland Dr. uunet!aablue!fmsystm!macy Medina, OH 44256 Voice: 216-723-3000 X251 Disclaimer: My advice is worth what you paid for it. Your milage may vary.