ML350 2-bay SCSI cage

[Julian Griffiths]

Is it possible to use the optional 2-bay SCSI cage to hold on-line spares for a Raid array in the main 6-bay hot-swop cage? If so, which Raid controller should I use?

[Janine Bertolo · Accepted solution]

Hello;

The 2-bay scsi drive cage runs on a separate channel from the existing hot-plug drive cage in your server.

You can configure it to hold an online spare for the existing array providing both channels are on the same controller.

In other words, you need a dual-channel array controller to do the trick. Two separate controllers on each cage will not work.

With a dual-channel array controller, the Array Configuration Utility will allow you to cross channels to add an online spare to the existing array.

If you currently have the 532 controller, a logical upgrade would be the 5300 series.

Hope that helps,

Janine

[Frank Kaufman]

David, how did you add the magic answer rabbit to this thread?

[Julian Griffiths]

I have just realised that the 2-drive bay is an Ultra2/3 device not an ultra 320. Is it ok to use ultra 320 drives and a 6402 controller? Will the performance degrade to ultra 3?

Also, the specs for the ML350 and ML370 show them as having an "ultra2/3 backplane"; but the recommended drives are all Ultra 320.

Does this mean that the whole system runs at Ultra3, irrespective of the raid card and attached drives?

[Frank Kaufman]

Yes to all. The device chain will run at the rate of the slowest link.

[Julian Griffiths]

Then what's the point of Ultra 320 cards and drives if you can't use their performance?
Or am I missing something?

[Julian Griffiths]

Took the plunge and bought one!