Re: AW: ST373405LC Firmware Please Help !!

Michael Baeuerle wrote in news:avhqq4-ko.ln1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Folkert Rienstra wrote:
Michael Baeuerle wrote in message news:d86oq4-sc1.ln1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
BigAkku wrote:
Folkert Rienstra:
BigAkku wrote in message news:LobrP1jIKr0sVOxuBigakku@xxxxxx

i have some IBM Totalstorage ST37 SSA disks with special IBM SSA
Firmware.
This disks are OEM from Seagate.

Seagate original= ST373405LC

So they are obviously not SSA.

Disk: IBM TotalStorage 73GB SCSI Ultra3-160/SSA
So it is an IBM SSA Disk OK

As Folkert have written: No.
SSA is a serial interface like FiberChannel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_Storage_Architecture

The Seagate disk have the standard parallel Interface (for Seagate
disks, the "LC" indicates a LVD capable parallel interface with 80Pin
connector).

Well, have a looksee here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/2105-2124-IBM-8-pack-73gb-10k-U160-w-Shark-Backplane_W0QQitemZ290152536744QQcmdZViewItem
and here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-18P3261-34L9068-73GB-10K-U160-SSA-ST373405LC-w-cadd_W0QQitemZ160143885213QQihZ006QQcategoryZ56095QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Specifically says "SCSI Ultra3 - 160/SSA" *on the label*.

I see. I had expected this on the converter together with a "normal"
Seagate OEM disk.

Many vendors use Seagate OEM disks with parallel interface but

IBM OEM'ed drives even have an IBM drive label. You wouldn't know
if it was a Seagate unless you know specific tell-tale characteristics.

I never have seen one that does not run on a standard hostadapter.

Which very likely includes this one too, despite that SSA moniker.


In addition things like "Ultra3-160" are transfer modes for
the parallel interface and are not used for SSA.

Now what makes you say that.
Obviously the SSA SCSI converter has to use it as there is no other.

ACK. It seems that IBM sees the disk and the converter as an atomic
unit so they call it "Ultra3-160/SSA".

Or that it can be used as suitable for both Ultra3-160 and SSA.

If they really use an incompatible firmware for this disks, this is OK.

It's likely not that. It probably has some logical characteristics that
makes it suitable for systems running SSA controllers.

But IMHO this only makes sense if the converter don't support the
standard parallel protocol and I cannot believe that a standard disk
would not run in this adapter ...

Which is quite a different point. It probably will, but that's of no use
if the Host system doesn't accept it by lack of certain characteristics.


Whether it is Ultra160 mode specifically is another matter though.

If Wikipedia is correct with the SSA transferrate of 20MByte/s per
channel and direction the U160 transfermode does not make much sense
for the converter.

I've seen papers mentioning 40MB/s already.



Micha

.

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