[rescue] StorageWorks

[Dave Reader]

On Fri, 3 Aug 2001, BSD Bob the old greybeard BSD freak wrote:

> > Hi,
> > 
> > I'm hoping that someone here can help me understand this DEC Storage
> > Works SWXSE-22 unit which i've just added to my toy collection.
> 
> If this is a storageworks shelf assembly of some kind, the following
> may apply.  If this unit is different from the plastic shelves, sorry
> for the bandwidth.
> 
> > The unit was dropped by the courier, so it isn't in great shape, but it
> > seems operational.
> 
> Sad... jerks these package handlers, quite often.

yeah.. it wasnt cheap either :(
 
> > I have 4 disks, type RZ29B which are 4Gb or so, and two powersupplies. At
> > one end is a module with 2 scsi connectors.
> 
> BE VEDDY VEDDY CAREFUL... those could be dssi connectors and if hooked up
> to scsi..... not good?  The INTERNAL connectors on the usual storageworks
> shelf thingy are scsi.  The thin board at one end may be a scsi-dssi
> converter, such that the external connectors are dssi and not scsi.

the little board turns out to be an "8 bit personality module"

> > Having removed the one disk which has a broken connector, I've powered it
> > up and hooked up a trusty AHA2940 to it to see whats what.
> > 
> > All of the disks are recognised, but only as 27Mb capacity (!) each.
> 
> Something is amiss.....

i've tracked that down to the adaptec trying to put the drives into wide
mode .. and the drives obeying even though they can't see half of they bus
they think they should have! .. tweaking the adaptor config has fixed it
:)

> behind the fans.  There is a big ba350ugc.pdf file (search for) that will

Bill has helped me out with some documentation :)

> Good Luck!  They can be nice when they work, and bummers if something is
> internally wacked.

I've got the adaptec doing a verify on the disks now .. hopefully the guy
I got this from can help me out with replacements for the broken bits and
maybe an extra disk or two.

Then i just need to find a way to mount it in the rack .. and perhaps a
2nd scsi card for one of the suns.


Thanks,

dave.