[rescue] SS10 Sbus slot count

[Joshua D Boyd]

On Thu, May 16, 2002 at 04:54:55PM -0400, Big Endian wrote:
> >On Thu, May 16, 2002 at 04:32:18PM -0400, Big Endian wrote:
> >
> >> unless you happen to have an SS1k or larger/equivalent box, yes.
> >
> >I guess I need to either lower expectations on my file server or purchase
> >a PCI machine then.
> 
> ok.  Why the 1xFE,2xFDDI?  Can you cut one or two of those out?  If 
> you can you'll be able to fit 2x fwd scsi (1 slot cards), an 
> HME+single wide FDDI, 2x single wide FDDI, or 1x double wide FDDI. 
> The single wide DAS fddi boards that I've seen have SC connectors on 
> them, not MIC, so be careful.  I'm using a sparc 20 to do FDDI<-> 
> fastE(no, I've never benchmarked it).  It is possible to do all that 
> you want in that class of box but... why?

Network attached storage.  If I use 1 fastE or FDDI interface, then all 
machines have to share 12.5MB/s of bandwidth.  I want to do a FDDI direct
connect between the file server and my main workstation, then I want to
do a connection either directly to another workstation (of the FastE variety),
or just plug it into my 100mbit switch.  And then the second FDDI interface
would tap into the FDDI interface on my lanplex, meaning that each attached
10mbit device would be able to talk to the file server as if it was the only
machine connected.  Well, eventually the second FDDI interface would connect
to the FDDI concentrator, but I don't have that working yet.  The lack of
linux or NetBSD support for FDDI on non-PCI or EISA machines is frustrating 
though.

What is the point of fast disk systems on a file server if nothing can talk
it any where close to full speed?
 
> > Crap.  That is still going to mean needing 5 PCI
> >slots, assuming it is a headless box.
> 
> ?  PCI box (assuming its a sparc), has HME built in, the SCSI cards 
> are available in dual channel, so that leaves 3 free slots.  Add two 
> FDDI and an FC-AL card.  This is the approach I'm taking with my 
> fileserver.  I've got an ultra 10. It has the onboard HME, plus the 
> PCI FDDI card I've thrown in it, I have room for an FC-AL card for my 
> ALA[arbitrarily large array], and room for a scsi card to plug my 
> clariion into.  (if anybody has a pci dual chan FW Diff card 
> available for reasonable $$ contact me off list)

I don't think I'll be getting a suitable Ultrasparc anytime soon, but we'll
see.  An alpha seems like a more budget friendly candidate. On the upside,
if I'm using a PCI machine, I can fall back to NetBSD instead of Solaris.

-- 
Joshua D. Boyd