I asked:
We're (still) configuring our 2100A. Have just heard an evil rumor that it
can only handle 3 KZPSA (FWD PCI-based) controllers, even though the box
itself has 8 PCI slots. Could this be true? If so, is it a hardware
limitation, or something that might be fixed later in firmware or software?
Thanks to:
John Stoffel <john_at_WPI.EDU>
Dave Golden <golden_at_falcon.invincible.com>
Fergal Mc Carthy <fergal_at_ilo.dec.com>
Mike Ogura - Twin Cities Systems Engineer <OGURAM_at_pios.com>
Javier Aida <jaida_at_gmd.com.pe>
Consensus is that 3's the maximum, currently, for Digital Unix (but VMS can
deal with 7, so it's not *strictly* a hardware problem). Read on for the details.
Pat Wilson
paw_at_dartmouth.edu
------- Forwarded Messages
>>>>> "Pat" == Pat Wilson <paw_at_rigel.dartmouth.edu> writes:
Pat> We're (still) configuring our 2100A. Have just heard an evil
Pat> rumor that it can only handle 3 KZPSA (FWD PCI-based)
Pat> controllers, even though the box itself has 8 PCI slots. Could
Pat> this be true? If so, is it a hardware limitation, or something
Pat> that might be fixed later in firmware or software?
I think there is a problem with the firmware in the PCI-to-PCI bridge
chip which requires the KZPSA boards to be in front of the bridge. I
would suspect DEC will have a fix for it sometime soon, but I would
check carefully before committing yourself to this system. I do know
that a PCI bus is limited to three slots unless a bridge chip is used,
though I'm not sure why this limitation exists. I would think that 8
slots would be just as good a number to limit things by.
John
John F. Stoffel |
john_at_wpi.edu | Kill your television.
College Computer Center |
------- Message 2
My understanding (from the release notes and last fall's
THOT session) is that the KZPSA only works in slots that
are in "front" of the PCI to PCI bridge. I think your
system doc should tell you which ones are and are not. That
is probably what is limiting the number of adapters that
you can use.
Dave
- --
Dave Golden golden_at_invincible.com
Invincible Technologies Corporation
------- Message 3
On Wed Feb 7, 96, at 09:33:55, you wrote:
>
>We're (still) configuring our 2100A. Have just heard an evil rumor that it
>can only handle 3 KZPSA (FWD PCI-based) controllers, even though the box
>itself has 8 PCI slots. Could this be true? If so, is it a hardware
>limitation, or something that might be fixed later in firmware or software?
According to the latest Systems and Options the 2100A can take at max 3
KZPSA-BB cards when running Digital UNIX, as they can only be configured in
the last 4 slots. There is a slight difference in the specs for the
rackmounts and the pedestal systems; the pedestal docs say that OpenVMS can
take upto 7, in any slot.
This would seem to suggest that it is a software/firmware related
limitation. However I also see that it says you can have 1 KZPSM-AA combo
Ethernet/FWD card and doesn't mention any problem with co-existing with
KZPSA-BB cards. That suggests that you can get a fourth controller that
way, and if the existing network card happens to be in the last four slots
then just replace it with the combo card.
Can't help you further than that however,
Fergal.
- --
Fergal Mc Carthy, Digital, Ballybrit, Galway. fergal_at_ilo.dec.com
Technical Computing Group System Administrator. Ph: +353-91-754149
http://tc-www.ilo.dec.com/~fergal DTN: 822-4149
"a key to the understanding of all religion is that a god's
idea of amusement is Snakes and Ladders with greased rungs."
- Terry Pratchett, Wyrd Sisters
------- Message 4
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 1996 10:17:28 -0500 (EST)
From: Mike Ogura - Twin Cities Systems Engineer <OGURAM_at_pios.com>
To: paw_at_northstar.dartmouth.edu
Subject: RE: AlphaServer 2100A - max # PCI FWDs?
Hi
According to the options catalog, 3 kzpsa-bb are allowed in slots
4, 5, 6, or 7 under DU and Win NT. VMS supports 7 kzpsa controllers.
I don't have any details on exactly why.
Mike
------- Message 5
From: Javier Aida <jaida_at_gmd.com.pe>
To: Pat Wilson <paw_at_northstar.dartmouth.edu>
Subject: RE: AlphaServer 2100A - max # PCI FWDs?
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 1996 11:27:37 -0500
hi, Pat
I think that rumor is true. Actually, i'm working on a new project which =
will involve 2 AlphaServer 8400 (they have 128 PCI slots), and all =
manuals and tech info i have tells me about a 32 KZPSA maximum =
configuration and a 3 KZPSC per machine restriction. I have not read =
tech info about 2100, but the 8400 limitation can tell us that yes, =
there can be a limitation for the 2100 too.
Hope this helps
- ----------
From: Pat Wilson[SMTP:paw_at_rigel.dartmouth.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 1996 4:33 AM
To: alpha-osf-managers_at_ornl.gov
Subject: AlphaServer 2100A - max # PCI FWDs?
We're (still) configuring our 2100A. Have just heard an evil rumor that =
it
can only handle 3 KZPSA (FWD PCI-based) controllers, even though the box
itself has 8 PCI slots. Could this be true? If so, is it a hardware
limitation, or something that might be fixed later in firmware or =
software?
Thanks.
Pat Wilson
paw_at_dartmouth.edu
------- End of Forwarded Messages
Received on Mon Feb 19 1996 - 21:50:06 NZDT