From: Matthias Schulz <schulz@unix-services.de> Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 00:37:44 +0100 Message-Id: <0202160037440H.10009@frontend> Subject: Re: [suse-sparc] Question: Fibre Optic Interface and Storage Array
Hi Lou,
to my knowledge, there is only one way to upgrade the fc-controller
firmware from within linux. I saw a post to a newsgroup by the
devloper of the fc4-driver himself. He said that he could put the
firmware code somewhere in the driver but he is noch allowed to
deliver the firmware together with the driver. I will put together
what I already collected on this issue and send it to you by email.
The <ok>-prompt I am talking about is in fact the boot-prompt.
The 501-2553 is the newer version of the controller and has at
least firmware level 1.33 (according to the sun-docs) which doesn't
help you a lot since you need 1.52. If the former owner of your box
kept things updated you might be in the lucky position to have all
done for you.
Solaris 8 might probably not help you a lot. I didn't find the
firmware image on my Solaris 8.
I have absolutely no idea on how much these boxes cost when they
were new, but, I agree, it must have been a fortune (from our
perspective). I think it's a great thing since whenever I need more
disk space I just plug in another disk (and they are getting less
expensive these days). One might ask, why go with these dinosaurs
when they have a theoretical max of 30 x 16 gb = 480 gb when disks
get more and more capacity. I could get 15 disks, each 40 gb on a
single fast-wide scsi-controller (much more on a multi-channel
raid-controller). Less electricity = less cost, less noise, less
processor cost regarding the prices for SuperSPARC cpus, even
memory is more expensive etc. But sometimes there are things you
can't measure with money. It's a little like my off-road car : I
don't REALLY need it here in Germany and the best thing to measure
the perfect suspension is my backside ;-)
Anyway, the amount of money I paid for the S1000E, 512 meg, 4
processors (at 50 MHz !!), the SSA100 including 30 1gb disks
wouldn't buy me ONE 80 gb scsi disk today. And the options I have
are much more than with a single disk.
On the other hand, I think they are not THAT easy to get hold of,
at least not where I am living, but I don't want to start a
discussion about things that might or might not be useful for the
one or other person. I love these older hardware since it offers me
the ability to learn about 'bigger' systems than just a
single-processor-one-harddrive-pc-system. And most of what I can
learn I can also use with actual hardware. There are some
differences, but I can see the picture.
Matthias
Am Freitag 15 Februar 2002 22:13 schrieben Sie:
> Hey Mattias!
>
> Again, thanks for your generosity in trying to help with this.
> Unfortunately, we are getting the array next week, so I will not
> be able to act on your suggestions 'til then.
>
> One thing does worry me, though: You are speaking from a Solaris
> perspective; am I going to have to install Solaris somewhere to
> perform the tests and firmware installs you indicate?
>
> Also, my Fibre Card will be a 501-2553, I believe; does this
> matter?
>
> Do you know of similar tools on Linux? (I assume the 'OK' prompt
> to which you refer is from 'Boot Prompt', right?) I do have a
> 'burn' of Solaris 8 somewhere around, I'm sure(?) I could get the
> patches there?
>
> I am surprised there are not more SuSE-ers using these gadgets.
> I think you and I are on to a great thing; and a very
> cost-effective one. These units cost a small fortune not too
> long ago, no? (How much were they when new, by the way? Do you
> know?)
>
> Again, thanks!
>
> > Hi Lou,
> >
> > sorry, I can't post to the newsgroup for whatever reason. You
> > might wanna put this article in the group for me so that others
> > with the same problems can get a probable solution.
> >
> > I got hold of such a box a couple of weeks ago and the good
> > news is, it works with SuSE 7.3.
> >
> > I installed a minimal system and the drivers are delivered with
> > SuSE 7.3.
> >
> > There are some prerequisites though :
> >
> > The storage firmware should be current (3.12). Don't know, if
> > this is a MUST since the software on the box I've got hold of,
> > was at 3.12.
> >
> > A MUST ist that the firmware on the opical controller (I'm
> > talking about soc, NOT socal here) is at 1.52, the most current
> > level SUN developed (afaik).
> >
> > It took me quite a few days to find out how to upgrade the
> > firmware on either the box or the fc-controller (SBus,
> > 501-2069, soc).
> >
> > You can upgrade the firmware with Solaris tools. Look for the
> > Solaris-packages SUNWssa / SUNWssaxx (where 'xx' are different
> > letters, i.e. op) which contain the firmware for the
> > fc-controller in the machine and the firmware in the ssa-box. I
> > found mine on Solaris 2.6. HW 5/98.
> >
> > The firmware for the fc-controller is usuallly called
> > soc.img.1.52 and the firmware for the ssa-box is called
> > ssafirmware. I found it in the (uninstalled) package :
> > SUNWssaop/reloc/usr/lib/firmware/ssa. (unpacked from patch
> > 104708-21).
> >
> > To find out, what firmware is installed, go to the <ok>-prompt
> > and type :
> >
> > <ok> show-devs
> > ... which goves you a list of installed devices on the machine.
> > Look for something like SUNW,soc@3,0 which ist the
> > fc-controller in your machine.
> >
> > Write down the complete
> > path(/io-unit@f,e2200000/sbi@0,0/SUNW,soc@3,0 - for a S1000E
> > machine, i.e.) and then do a
> >
> > <ok>cd /io-unit@f,e2200000/sbi@0,0/SUNW,soc@3,0
> > <ok> sccsid type
> > ..... which gives in my case :
> > 1.52 96/04/09 ... which ist the current firmware for the
> > fc-controller (version 1.52).
> >
> > Now, to get the sccsid (firmware-level) of the ssa-box, this
> > is, what I have done :
> >
> > in Solaris 2.5.1 : ssaadm display c1 (c1 = first controller)
> >
> > ...... which gives in my case :
> > SPARCstorage Array 100 Configuration
> > (ssaadm version: 1.15 96/03/17)
> > Controller path:/devices/io-unit@..................
> >
> > --------- snip -----------
> >
> > Vendor: SUN
> > Product ID: SSA100
> > Product Rev: 1.0
> > Firmware Rev: 3.12 (current)
> > Serial Num: 000000nnnnnnnn
> > Accumulate Performance Statistics: Enabled
> >
> > You might want to chek for the following untilities on solaris
> > : ssaadm, fc_update luxadm
> >
> > O.k. once you have the firmware at the most current level, you
> > can fire up SuSE 7.3 and type :
> >
> > modprobe fc4 (from /lib/modules/your-kernel/fc4)
> > modprobe soc (same as above)
> > modprobe pluto
> > (/lib/modules/your-kernel/kernel/drivers/scsi)
> >
> > After that you can then talk to each device on the ssa-box.
> >
> > This is the point where I am. What I want to do now is to
> > something like lvm (logical-volume-manager) to control (stripe,
> > raid, whatever) the disks in the box.
> >
> > Btw. I tried out different disk sizes (mine are all 1 gb).
> >
> > Any disk I put in (up to 18 gb) was known to Solaris though to
> > mkfs you need to have a solaris label on the disk.
> > BUT : my 18gb disk was only known with 16 gb (which seems to be
> > a frimware limit according to the newsgroups). The (not) finny
> > thong is : whenever I put this disk on a SCSI - controller now,
> > solaris / linux claim that the number of sectors in the disk
> > label differs from waht the disk sais itself -> wrong geometry
> > and I cannot use the disk with it's maximum size any more. The
> > size reported by the disk is smaller than the size reported by
> > the label. I haven't got a solution for this yet, i.e.
> > re-writing what the disk reports (any ideas here ?).
> >
> > Hope this helps.
> >
> > If you get any further than I did or if you have any questions
> > feel welcome to ask.
> >
> > Matthias
> >
> > Am Mittwoch 13 Februar 2002 14:59 schrieben Sie:
> >> Does anyone have any experience in using SuSE with SunStorage
> >> Arrays - specifically, either the old SUNStorage FiberOptic
> >> 1010s and the corresponding SUN Fibre Interface card (Model
> >> 501-2553)?
> >>
> >> Does SuSE have drivers to support this interface and its RAID
> >> functions? Or am I wasting my time?
> >>
> >> Are there any major Œgotchas¹?? Has anyone got any war
> >> stories (or is it all so easy it isn't even worth talking
> >> about!)
> >>
> >> Many thanks.
> >>
> >> Lou
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