bdm@ciprico.mn.org (Bill D. Moren) (09/18/87)
RIMFIRE 3200/3400 SUN BOOT KIT
Ciprico's Rimfire 3200/3400 Sun Boot Kit allows users of Sun
Workstations to boot their systems directly from any SMD or ESDI
type disk drive using a Ciprico disk controller. The Kit
provides all the hardware, software, and documentation necessary
to add boot capability to systems using Rimfire VMEbus disk
controllers.
* Allows Booting Sun * Kit Includes Boot PROM,
Systems Directly from Installation Tape, and
Ciprico Disk Controllers Documentation
* Compatible With SUN 3/110, * All Necessary Boot and
3/160, 3/180, 3/260, and Utility Programs Included
3/280 Systems
* Compatible With Any ESDI * Can Be Installed on Systems
or SMD Type Disk Drives Already Using a Rimfire
Controller
The Kit was developed expressly for Ciprico by Sun
Microsystems. Compatible with most Series 3 Sun systems, it
provides users with maximum flexibility when integrating their
disk subsystems. For the greatest performance, any high speed
SMD type disk drive controlled by a Rimfire 3200 board will
provide a significant improvement in performance over comparable
offerings from Sun, at a substantial cost savings.
Superior performance is the result of advanced data
management techniques which are integral parts of the Rimfire
controllers. Cross-track lookahead caching is an example of one
of these techniques. This technique pre-reads disk data into the
board's internal cache memory, anticipating sequential access of
the disk by the operating system. Subsequent requests are then
satisfied directly from controller memory, eliminating mechanical
disk access latencies. Other advanced techniques including
command queuing, overlapped seeks, seek sorting, and command
combining also contribute to performance improvements.
For cost sensitive applications, a Rimfire 3400 disk
controller and cost effective ESDI disk drive provide excellent
performance while minimizing the cost per megabyte for disk
expansion. Software compatible with the Rimfire 3200 controller,
converting from ESDI to SMD type disks does not require software
changes.
Rimfire controllers are easily integrated into Sun
Workstations using triple high VME-to-VME adapter cards. These
adapters are available from Sun Microsystems and other third
party vendors, including versions with appropriate cabling from
the front panel to the controller and to the disk drives. For
more information on these adapters contact Ciprico.
The Sun Boot Kit includes the Rimfire 3200/3400 driver
(including documentation) for the BSD 4.2 version of the UNIX
operating system. The driver is also available separately in
source code form for those applications requiring modifications
to the standard driver.
The Sun Boot Kit is available through authorized Ciprico
distributors. The Kit is priced at $175. To find the nearest
authorized distributor, or to get more information on the Kit or
any of Ciprico's VMEbus, Multibus I, or Multibus II mass storage
controllers, contact Bill Moren at Ciprico:
Ciprico Inc.
2955 Xenium Lane
Plymouth, MN 55441
(612) 559-2034
or at:
bdm@ciprico.mn.org