From: Matthias Schulz <schulz@sms-softwaretechnik.de> Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 08:22:10 +0100 Message-Id: <02021908221000.00976@frontend> Subject: Re: [suse-sparc] Sun Storage Array
Repost for Rick Thompson
Cheers,
Matthias
Am Samstag 16 Februar 2002 00:37 schrieben Sie:
> 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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