News Group Posts

adaptec raid disks

Message-ID: <3BAA6C41.CD677425@att.net> 
From: Steve Fabac <smfabac@att.net>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sco.misc
Subject: Re: Raid Question
References: <bKmq7.980$PD.6977@open-news.pacbell.net> 
X-UserInfo1: TSU[@SJGXRWQBWLYMBCB^]\@PJ_^PBQLGPQRJVMHQAVTUZ]CLNTCPFK[WDXDHV[K^FCGJCJLPF_D_NCC@FUG^Q\DINVAXSLIFXYJSSCCALP@PB@\OS@BITWAH\CQZKJMMD^SJA^NXA\GVLSRBD^M_NW_F[YLVTWIGAXAQBOATKBBQRXECDFDMQ\DZFUE@\JM
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 04:22:59 GMT

FTG wrote:
> 
> I have installed an Adaptec 2100S controller under SCO 5.05.
> 
> I have 2 18gb drives installed. I installed the O/S using the BTLD
> supplied by Adaptec. After the O/S installation I went into the
> Adaptec bios which they call SMOR and created the Raid 1 array.

That can work but it's recommended that you create the raid >before<
you install the operating system. I have done it your way and it worked
for me. But there is no guarantee. 

> 
> After the array was built I rebooted and it appears that both drives
> are mirroring. However, when I swap the drives around to see if it
> is REALLY working, the so called mirrored drive doesn't boot.

"swap the drives" is a RED FLAG! I assume (and that's dangerous) that
by "swapping the drives around" you changed the SCSI ID of the drives? 

Bad move. If you want to test the raid, simply remove power from ONE
drive and watch the system keep running.  Restore power to the drive,
rebuild the array, and when the rebuild is finished, remove power from 
the other drive.  NEVER change the SCSI ID's of the drives in the array.
Either drive should boot when the other drive is unpowered and you don't
"swap the drives around." 

One thing I don't like about the Adaptec (nee DPT) RAID controllers is
the fact that the system ID of the resulting RAID array adopts the
lowest
SCSI ID of the disks that make up the array. And although it is reported
that you can boot a system drive with a non-zero ID, it is sooo much
easier to keep the SCSI ID of the system drive at zero.

> 
> I must be missing a step and have looked on the Adaptec web site
> for details but to no avail. It mentions something about the utility
> called raidutil but I can't seem to make this work either.

The download drivers don't properly install raidutil. I had to patch 
the installation with parts from other DPT drivers to get it to work.

> 
> Can anyone step me through this. First time Raid installation.
> 
> Thanks

-- 

                                      Steve Fabac
                                       S.M. Fabac & Associates
                                        816/765-1670
 

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