Re: Ultra 5 and max size HD ?

From: Benjamin Gawert (bgawert_at_gmx.de)
Date: 12/26/03 

Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 12:12:22 +0100

ultrasparc3@hotmail.com wrote:

>>> The cutoff point should be around 127gb, with a current Solaris
>>> install. The is a hardware limit (the ide controller).
>>
>> No, that's not. That's a simple software limit in the OpenBoot
>> Firmware.
>
> it is a solaris device driver limit, not a limit in the OpenBoot
> Firmware.

So please explain how the issues with drives over 128GB not being recognised
in PROM can be a driver issue of an operating system that isn't even loaded
at that time?

> there are also southbridge IDE hardware limitations in the sun blade
> 100
> that prevent big disks from being used but the motherboard IDE
> controller
> in the ultra 5/10 should be okay hardware-wise.

The IDE controller of the U5/10 is ok but the PROM limits the useable disk
size...

>> Forget it! There are no third-party IDE controllers that have
>> OpenBoot
>> compliant firmware (BIOS)
>
> openboot-compliant firmware is only useful for booting, it is not
> required for devices you do not need to use for booting. generic
> non-OFW cmd649-based PCI IDE controller cards work nicely in sun
> systems providing access to cheap mass storage.

Sure, but You still can't boot from them. And the CMD649 often have some
issues with UDMA modes...

If You want to have bigger disks than 128GB and You want to boot from them
the only way is SCSI or an external IDE Array that connects to the U5/10 via
SCSI...

Benjamin