Re: KZPEA in ES45 with serial console only -- run bios?



I'm considering getting a KZPEA for use in an ES45 which only
has a serial console; the ES45 does not have a graphics card.


From the release notes:

---------

A video adapter card is recommended to run the on-board configuration
utility. On systems such as the HP DS10L, this is not possible since
there is only 1 available PCI slot, which precludes the use of a KZPEA
board and a video board. On these systems and any others where the
choice may be limited to using the serial mode of console operation the
following steps are suggested:

At the SRM console prompt, ensure that the console mode of operation is
set to "serial." Go into the KZPEA configuration utility by typing
"run bios pkx0", where x is the assigned letter of the board's
channel A. Once the utility is started and the user has typed control
A in response to the board's inquiry as to whether any of the factory
settings need to be changed - at this point the terminal's setup
mode must be invoked to enable the cursor as the KZPEA configuration
utility disables the cursor when it starts running. When the cursor is
enabled, exit out of the terminal's setup mode to return to the KZPEA
utility and proceed from there.

If your terminal does not present either a flashing cursor or a
highlight to indicate where the cursor is, you will not be able to use
the serial emulation mode to configure the KZPEA module. Therefore, you
must have a video board installed in your system or you must configure
the KZPEA in another system and then install it in your system.

---------------

There were also notes in the user guide about the configuration utility
only working in hose 0.

HP page is:

http://h18002.www1.hp.com/alphaserver/products/storage/kzpea/



The KZPEA is actually an Adaptec AIC-7899, I think.

Adaptec 39160 (Genuine adaptec - If you try to use an OEM one it fails
since the PCI id's are different - my Compaq branded proliant spares
refused to work)

Perhaps a dumb question, but does the card's BIOS run on the card or on
the machine's own CPU?


The KZPEA card has the configuration utility/bios in flash ram
(Intel-X86 code), the Alpha has an X86 emulator in the firmware to
initialise graphics cards / execute SCSI card config utils - e.g. KZPBA
/ KZPEA (if it knows about them anyway - min SRM/AlphaBIOS versions
apply)

Another disturbing note about this card. According to the Adaptec
39160 user's reference:
If you connect a SCSI hard disk drive to the Adaptec SCSI Card
39160 that was previously connected to a different SCSI card,
you must low-level format the drive before you can use it. Back
up the data on the drive before you move it!
Can this really mean what it says?!? If I take a drive running
on another machine whose controller is a KZPCA, for example, I
can't just plug it into the supposedly "hot swappable" slot
controlled by the KZPEA? The KZPEA docs don't mention this
problem.


Didn't see that in the KZPEA user guide/release notes.

Does anyone have actual experience with this KZPEA controller?


Seemed to work fine in a DS10L, no performance testing done though and
not connected to external disks. (And for hobbyist/non-production use)

.

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