[comp.sys.dec] HP disks on DS 5000/200?

ajc@thendara.pa.dec.com (AJ Casamento) (06/23/91)

In article <1991Jun22.230123.29153@cs.cmu.edu> cbs@cs.cmu.edu (Clauss Strauch)
writes:

>>	   Has anybody had good luck with putting HP 600-some MB or HP 1.2 GB
>> disks as the boot disk on a DECstation 5000/200 running Ultrix 4.X?  We're 
>> currently using some as second drives(and booting off DEC drives) and things
>> seem to work OK.  But, I've heard there were some firmware problems that made
>> booting off the HP drives difficult.
>>			       -- Clauss Strauch
>>				  Engineering Design Research Center
>>				  Carnegie Mellon University
>>				  cbs@edrc.cmu.edu

	Clauss,

	  I have seen a couple of postings where people have had problems 
	using the HP2213a (which is an equivalent capacity to our RZ56).
	A couple of things you might want to be aware of:

	* The DS5000/xxx series machines implement a full SCSI-2 hardware
	  interface (per the current ANSI draft that's up for signature)
	  using an NCR53C94 controller.

	* A number of disk drive vendors are just beginning to bring their
	  firmware up to the recommendations of that draft.

	* The SCSI-1 protocol did not have any recommended response time 
	  from a SCSI bus reset command (where the SCSI target/disk is to
	  respond to the initiator/host and let it know it's there).

	* We have tripped over a number of disk drives that don't respond
	  in seconds (much less the recommended 250ms) and our host adapter
	  will only wait a period of 2x the recommended time limit.




	  All of that aside, it doesn't change the fact that you have some
	disk drives you've invested in that you want to make use of. So:

	* Please let us know ( triadd@decwrl.dec.com ) how things go if
	  you decide to try using the HP disks as system disks.

	* If you do run into a trouble, I'd appreciate you dropping a note
	  to that address and telling us as much as you can (eg. HP firmware
	  rev, DS5000/xxx model and firmware rev, Ultrix version and some
	  indication as to the failure mode).

	* Do suggest to the HP folks that they give us a call (see my .sig) 
	  or send us e-mail as well. If we can help to do a one time solution 
	  it will save everybody a lot of needless hassle.



	  I would normally suggest that you e-mail me back directly. But, I'm
	leaving on a business trip in the morning and will only be able to
	check on my mail infrequently for the next couple of weeks. So, please
	use the main contact numbers/addresses.

	  I hope that the information helps. Let us know how things are going.

				Thanx,
				  AJ


      **********************************************************************
      * AJ Casamento			"The question is not whether or    *
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	p.s. And for any option/system vendors out there:





	Digital's TRI/ADD Program is part of Digital's focus on the
	open systems market. TRI/ADD is Digital's Third Party Hardware
	program.


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	options or systems vendors who are integrating the TURBOchannel
	technology. We provide technical support and assistance for
	hardware solutions that are compatible with Digital's open I/O
	buses on RISC/Ultrix:
	
		* SCSI

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cbs@cs.cmu.edu (Clauss Strauch) (06/23/91)

	Has anybody had good luck with putting HP 600-some MB or HP 1.2 GB
disks as the boot disk on a DECstation 5000/200 running Ultrix 4.X?  We're 
currently using some as second drives(and booting off DEC drives) and things
seem to work OK.  But, I've heard there were some firmware problems that made
booting off the HP drives difficult.
				    -- Clauss Strauch
				       Engineering Design Research Center
				       Carnegie Mellon University
                                       cbs@edrc.cmu.edu