Trying to create a SCSI cluster

[Mark E. Levy]

Hello, I'm trying to create a SCSI cluster using two DS10L systems each with a KZPBA-CX, and two BA356 enclosures with DS-BA35X-FB personality modules. I have each system cabled to one port of each BA35X-FB, and a jumper between each of the BA35X-FBs. On both BA35x-FBs, the termination switches are all set to "on" (termination disabled). On the first BA356, the address switches are all off, and on the second, 1,2,3 are on. One KZPBA is at SCSI id 7, and the other I tried 6 and 15 with the same result. What am I missing?

[Steven Schweda]

> What am I missing?

A description of the symptoms?

SRM console output from "show device" on both
systems might be interesting.

I know nothing about the BA356 hardware, so
I'd need to take your word for the
correctness of the settings there. Any two
different SCSI ID values for the KZPBA cards
should work, 7 and 6 being pretty popular.

[Steve-Thompson]

Hi Mark

A nice little project you've got for yourself!
I'm thinking about this one "on paper" as I havent located what the BA356 switches do just yet... affect the SCSI ID's, or change the BA bus between split and single???

Yet the personality modules are "split" so it make me think you wont see anything on the SCSI bus that joins the two boxes!

The BA365 boxes are in effect SCSI cables with disks attached.. One end must go to a "system"... So the cable you have between the 2 BA356, how does that communicate with a system?

Try putting 2 SCSI cards onto one DS10 (with different SCSI Id's), connect 2 "ends" to the Alpha and do a show device at the bios level. Once you get some sense out of the HW configuration using one system, then introduce the second Alpha!

Good Luck
(I'll try and find some BA356 info in the meantime)

[Mark E. Levy]

Steven, oops! basically, here's the config:

SYSA---BA356A---BA356B---SYSB

SYSA can only see the disks on BA356A, and SYSB can only see the disks on BA356B. I'm determining this through SRM "SHO DEVICE."

There's another thread on the forums that describes the switch settings, and I've tried different combinations with no change in results. I've also tried switching which of the BA356 ports go to the systems and each other, AND I've tried a different jumper cable.

24x7, the DS10L has only one PCI slot, so I can't put both controllers in one system.

[Art Wiens]

Maybe try eliminating one BA356 shelf for now to verify that the hw is all functional and that the cluster can form or not. So SYSA---BA356x---SYSB . As 24x7 said, I'm also not sure this is a viable hw config. You may need a DS-DWZZH UltraSCSI Hub for the dual system access the way you want.

SYSA -\
SYSB - UltraSCSI Hub
BA356A -/
|
BA356B

HTH,
Art

[Bill Hall]

Mark,

The differential SCSI version of the KZPBA (-CB , probably a -CY on the adapter itself) is supported for multihost SCSI cluster use. They would also require using the differential version of the BA356 personality module, which, iirc is a DS-BA35X-DA.

Do you have a row of sockets for terminating resistors on your KZPBAs?

Bill

[Mark E. Levy]

Art, I did try plugging both CPUs into one BA356, and both saw all of the disks. I also tried connecting just one CPU to the two daisy-chained BA356s and it still only saw the disks in the BA356 it was directly connected to. I also verified that the bus jumper is behind slot 6 (on both), which signifies that the shelf is configured for single bus.

Bill, there are no resistors on the KZPBA-CX. However, the SRM console setting for termination is set to ON.

[Bill Hall]

Mark,

I found a couple of pictures at Island Computer that will help you identify the controller you have and whether it will work. http://www.islandco.com/scsi.html Island has pictures of both variants of the KZPBA on this page.

Section 4.8 of the Guidelines for OpenVMS Cluster Configurations lists the supported SCSI adapters.

Bill

[Andreas Vollmer]

Hello Mark,

I do have a very similar configuration. Two AlphaServers and one BA356.
Bill's statement is absolute correct if you would use a differential SCSI Adapter - as I do.
But the KZPBA-CX is a Single-Ended SCSI Adapter!
Please refer to the attached PDF document and compare the switch settings with yours.
The termination could be also an issue if the mentioned settings are OK.
Cheers
Andreas

[Ian Miller. · Accepted solution]

Only Diff SCSI is shown in GE diagrams

http://goldeneggs.spyderbyte.com/geggs/GTAVDS103PF.pdf
http://goldeneggs.spyderbyte.com/geggs/GTAVDS15a.pdf

[Mark E. Levy]

Thanks all. Actually I've found that differential is only required if there is a need to connect more than one BA356.

I got my cluster going on one BA356, and both nodes see all of the disks. I'd prefer two BA356s, but I can't bite off the cost of replacing the personality modules and scsi controllers, and adding the DWZZH and cabling at this time, so I'm just going to have to cram it all onto one BA356.