SUN C2 autoloader supported ?

[Joaquin Martinez_1]

Hello all.

We have installed a new adaptec scsi card (ultra320 lvd/se) on one of our alpha servers in order to attach a new tape drive. The drive is a sun c2 autoloader, which you can see here --> http://www.sun.com/storagetek/tape_storage/tape_libraries/c2/.

We were expecting Tru64 to recognize the scsi card and therefore the drive, but we are unable to. Indeed, we have no idea on whether this is supported or not. We have done a numerous things from rebooting the server, to hwmgr -scan scsi with no avail. Reason I have come to here to see what you guys think about it.

Our goal is to have the OS recognize the drive to make it usable. Is this even compatiable/supported? If its so, what are the steps to be carried out in order for the OS to recognize it.

Thanks all for the help. I will assign points accordingly.

[Rob Leadbeater · Accepted solution]

Hi,

As a starting point can you tell us exactly what SCSI card you installed. It would also be useful to know the server model, and to see the output of "show config" from the SRM.

You say an Adaptec Ultra320 - I'll take a guess that isn't supported, as I don't recall any Ultra320 cards for Alphas. The closest you're going to get is the KZPEA-DB which is only Ultra 3.

http://h18002.www1.hp.com/alphaserver/products/storage/kzpea/index.html

Once you've got a supported SCSI card in place, I'd have thought you should be able to see the library.

Cheers,

Rob

[Joaquin Martinez_1]

Thanks Rob,

Server model is AlphaServer ES45 Model 1B ALPHATITAN (got it from sys_check). In fact, the scsi card is an adaptec scsi card (ultra320 lvd/se)from dell. You can see the exact same card here on sale on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/Adaptec-39320A-Ultra-320-LVD%2FSE-PCI-X-SCSI-Card-NEW_W0QQitemZ330308721281QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090218?IMSfp=TL090218139012r30558.

I can't get the server down to SRM right now, will a hwmgr view dev suffice ?

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi,

If it's not a specific card for an Alpha, I wouldn't expect it to work.

The output of "hwmgr view hier" would be more useful to see...

Cheers,

Rob

[Joaquin Martinez_1]

Here it is Rob

# hwmgr view hier
HWID: hardware hierarchy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1: platform AlphaServer ES45 Model 1B
2: cpu CPU0
3: cpu CPU1
4: cpu CPU2
5: cpu CPU3
9: bus iop0
10: bus hose0
11: bus pci0
12: connection pci0slot7
18: bus isa0
19: connection isa0slot0
20: keyboard keyboard0
21: pointer mouse0
22: connection isa0slot2
23: serial_port tty00
24: connection isa0slot3
25: serial_port tty01
26: connection isa0slot4
27: parallel_port lp0
28: connection isa0slot5
29: fdi_controller fdi0
30: disk fdi0-unit-0 floppy0
173: connection pci0slot11
174: unconfigured_hardware Unconfigured-mass-storage-device-at-pci0slot11
175: unconfigured_hardware Unconfigured-mass-storage-device-at-pci0slot111
14: connection pci0slot12
143: unconfigured_hardware Unconfigured-base-system-device-at-pci0slot12
16: connection pci0slot16
31: ide_adapter ata0
32: scsi_bus scsi0
33: scsi_bus scsi1
34: bus hose2
35: bus pci2
36: connection pci2slot5
38: graphics_controller p3g0
39: bus iop1
40: bus hose1
41: bus pci1
42: connection pci1slot1
48: fibrechannel_adapter emx0
49: scsi_bus scsi2
155: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-0 dsk59
156: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-1 dsk60
157: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-2 dsk61
158: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-3 dsk62
159: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-4 dsk63
160: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-5 dsk64
161: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-6 dsk65
162: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-7 dsk66
171: tape bus-2-targ-1-lun-0 tape15
172: tape bus-2-targ-2-lun-0 tape16
44: connection pci1slot2
50: fibrechannel_adapter emx2
51: scsi_bus scsi3
155: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-0 dsk59
156: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-1 dsk60
157: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-2 dsk61
158: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-3 dsk62
159: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-4 dsk63
160: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-5 dsk64
161: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-6 dsk65
162: disk bus-3-targ-2-lun-7 dsk66
166: media_changer bus-3-targ-0-lun-3 mc0
165: tape bus-3-targ-0-lun-1 tape10
167: tape bus-3-targ-0-lun-4 tape11
168: tape bus-3-targ-1-lun-0 tape12
169: tape bus-3-targ-3-lun-0 tape13
170: tape bus-3-targ-4-lun-0 tape14
164: control_port bus-3-targ-0-lun-0 scp2
46: connection pci1slot6
148: unconfigured_hardware Unconfigured-base-system-device-at-pci1slot6
52: bus hose3
53: bus pci3
54: connection pci3slot1
60: smart_array_adapter ciss0
61: scsi_bus scsi4
70: disk bus-4-targ-0-lun-0 dsk0
154: tape bus-4-targ-33-lun-0 tape0
73: control_port bus-4-targ-32-lun-0 scp0
56: connection pci3slot2
62: bus pci4
63: connection pci4slot4
67: network ee0
65: connection pci4slot5
68: network ee1
58: connection pci3slot6
151: unconfigured_hardware Unconfigured-base-system-device-at-pci3slot6
#



One question though: Which cards, besides the one listed under the link you posted, are supported on Alpha servers? Aren't there any generic cards out there that we could buy and use ?

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi,

You've got a few unconfigured devices there, one (or more) of which is probably the unsupported SCSI card...

You can find the supported options for an ES45 here:

http://h18002.www1.hp.com/alphaserver/options/ases45/ases45_options.html

The card I mentioned previously is an Adaptec based card if I remember correctly, but it probably has specific HP firmware so that it is recognised by the AlphaServer. Unfortunately that tends to make them more expensive than their off the shelf equivalents.

Cheers,

Rob

[Steven Schweda]

> If it's not a specific card for an Alpha, I
> wouldn't expect it to work.

"Alpha" has approximately nothing to do with
it. The operating system, here, Tru64
(version something), needs a device driver
for the devices it uses, like, say, a SCSI
adapter.

> [...] what are the steps to be carried out
> [...]

Get a device driver for the card you have
(which seems unlikely to be easy), or get a
card which is supported.

> Aren't there any generic cards out there
> that we could buy and use ?

Define "generic". DEC/Compaq/HP tend/tended
to support what they sell/sold. Not so much
what they don't/didn't sell. I've seen some
non-DEC/Compaq/HP-branded Qlogic ISP1040
cards work with VMS on old Alpha systems.
They looked exactly like KZPBA cards (but
without the Compaq label). I got more
complaints about then from newer Alpha
systems. Some of the ones which worked with
VMS definitely failed with Tru64. (Different
device driver.)

Tru64 documentation should say what it
supports. The Tru64 market is so small that
I would not expect to find many third-party
SCSI device drivers, but I can't prove that
none exists.

I also would not bet that Tru64 would know
what to do with the Sun tape library, but you
could get lucky.

[Joaquin Martinez_1]

So, it all comes down to the KZPBA.

Steven, I am also affraid of what you said. Say we invest on this card (which I guess is already hard to find), and then we dont know for sure what would Tru64 do with the Sun tape library. If we could (at least) know that it will support it, we could probably invest some time in finding this card.

[Steven Schweda]

> We were expecting Tru64 to recognize the
> scsi card and therefore the drive, [...]

Why? Did the seller say that it would work?

> [...] the scsi card is an adaptec scsi card
> (ultra320 lvd/se)from dell.

Did Adaptec say that it should work?

Did Dell say that it should work?

Did HP say that it should work?

And, for the tape library:

Did Sun say that it should work?

Did HP say that it should work?


Did anyone else think that any of this was
likely to work?

[Rob Leadbeater]

Not as difficult to find as I was expecting...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390034743353

Cheers,

Rob