DEC Storageworks BA356 questions

From: Tom Peters <tpeters_at_mixcom.com>
Date: Thu Sep 9 09:08:58 2004

Thanks so much for your help!

Not knowing, I plugged the outside (on the end) scsi connection into a
AHA-2940 and was able to see the drive (only had one handy) I had put
inside. But later it did something twitchy, like complaining it could no
longer WRITE to the drive, although reading seemed ok. I didn't care so
much, it was just a basic test.

I was hoping the blinkenlights on the outside of the drive carriers would
work, but alas, they don't seem to.

At 11:32 PM 9/8/2004 +0100, you wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: cctalk-bounces_at_classiccmp.org
> > [mailto:cctalk-bounces_at_classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Tom Peters
> > Sent: 08 September 2004 22:49
> > To: cctalk_at_classiccmp.org
> > Subject: DEC Storageworks BA356 questions
> >
> > drive containers each. The fan modules say BA35X-MD 2x which
> > makes me suspect that I have a pair of DEC Storageworks BA356
> > enclosures. They are gray in color.
> >
> > They each have a personality module, apparently both BA35X-MH.
>
>16bit personality modules for wide-SCSI drives - the 8bit version was
>BA35X-MG. This means you should have 2 68 pin plugs on there; make sure you
>use the one down the side of the module rather than on the end. The end one
>was for cascading.
>
> > What do the switches do? The personality module with the
> > sticker on it that says SHELF 2 does NOT have the switches
> > set according to the decal on the module-- they are all off,
> > whereas on the decal, one is advised to turn switches 1-3 on
> > and leave 4-7 off.
>
>I never had to change the switches on those; typically they were left unless
>you were cascading shelves. I can check some -MH modules in the office
>tomorrow if you're still stuck then.
>
> > The module from the other unit is marked SHELF 1 and is in
> > fact set the way the decal advises.
>
>You've got a cascaded pair there then.
>
> > Are these personality modules in fact RAID controllers?
>
>Nope, purely personality modules to support 16bit disks.
>
> > Or do the SCSI ID numbers assigned by the enclosure get
> > passed through to the SCSI connector?
>
>Correct; the SCSI ID is based on shelf number and which port on the host
>machine you're plugged into.
>
> > Is there any software out there to configure these units as
> > to what flavor of RAID to use? E.g. for Windows XP or Red Hat Linux?
>
>No need - it's all hardware based - plug disks into shelf, plug shelf into
>host machine and use disks :)
>
>Cheers
>
>--
>Adrian/Witchy
>Owner/Curator of Binary Dinosaurs, quite probably the UK's biggest private
>home computer collection
>www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the online museum
>www.aaghverts.co.uk - *the* site for advert whinges!
>www.snakebiteandblack.co.uk - former gothic shenanigans :(


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Received on Thu Sep 09 2004 - 09:08:58 BST