[comp.unix.sysv386] Ultrastore 12C Caching Controller

bob@astph.UUCP (Bob Ford) (11/28/90)

We are running ISC 2.2 UNIX on a 386 system.  We have just started
an evaluation of the new Ultrastore 12C ESDI disk caching controller.
Does anyone out there have experience with this controller?  How
about compatability with ISC 2.2? We have been using the DPT ESDI
controller with good results - it is listed as a compatible item with
ISC.  However, its expensive, and uses proprietary memory modules
that are as much as $150-$200 per MB.  The Ultrastore 12C uses
industry standard 100 ns SIMMS.

adTHANKSvance for sharing your experience with the 12C.

davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (11/28/90)

In article <103@astph.UUCP> bob@astph.UUCP (Bob Ford) writes:
| We are running ISC 2.2 UNIX on a 386 system.  We have just started
| an evaluation of the new Ultrastore 12C ESDI disk caching controller.
| Does anyone out there have experience with this controller?  

  This is the controller Dell ships with their boxes. While it's fast
and all, it has some interesting characteristics which cause it to
sometimes not want to run a drive unmapped (limiting you to 512MB) or
deciding that the spt is something other than what the drive vendor
specified.

  The people who have it at work call it the "Ultrastrange" and have
replaced most of them with the CompuAdd caching controller, which works
with disks up to 15Mbit. I think the Ultrastor goes 20 or even 25 Mbit
if that's what you need.
-- 
bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen)
    sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX
    moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me

james@bigtex.cactus.org (James Van Artsdalen) (11/28/90)

In <2432@sixhub.UUCP>, davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen) wrote:

| In article <103@astph.UUCP> bob@astph.UUCP (Bob Ford) writes:

| We are running ISC 2.2 UNIX on a 386 system.  We have just started
| an evaluation of the new Ultrastore 12C ESDI disk caching controller.

>   This is the controller Dell ships with their boxes.

Quick correction: Dell ships the 12F, not the 12C.  The 12F does not
have a cache, just a 32K track buffer.  The 12F also has a floppy
controller - I do not know if the 12C does.
-- 
James R. Van Artsdalen          james@bigtex.cactus.org   "Live Free or Die"
Dell Computer Co    9505 Arboretum Blvd Austin TX 78759         512-338-8789

tim@delluk.uucp (Tim Wright) (11/28/90)

In <2432@sixhub.UUCP> davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) writes:

>In article <103@astph.UUCP> bob@astph.UUCP (Bob Ford) writes:
>| We are running ISC 2.2 UNIX on a 386 system.  We have just started
>| an evaluation of the new Ultrastore 12C ESDI disk caching controller.
>| Does anyone out there have experience with this controller?  

>  This is the controller Dell ships with their boxes.

Is it ??
It certainly isn't in the UK. We ship the 12F which has a floppy controller
on board but no cache (well - 1 tracks worth !!). It does handle 10, 15
and 20MHz drives and overall seems a good controller (the BIOS formatter etc.
is a big improvement over the WD1007A).

Tim
--
Tim Wright, Dell Computer Corp. (UK) | Email address
Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1RW       | Domain: tim@dell.co.uk
Tel: +44-344-860456                  | Uucp: ...!ukc!delluk!tim
"What's the problem? You've got an IQ of six thousand, haven't you?"