Re: Compaq SCSI RAID Controllers in Solaris x86 Non-Compaq machines

To all:

Indeed the Compaq Smart Array 3200, which is a 2 channel 80MB/s, SCSI
RAID controller, available VERY cheap on the internent... ( less than
$50, even with 128MB of battery-backed cache...) will run on a
non-Compaq PC clone. (Abit BE-6 with Pentium III @ 500 MHz)

Apparently the first machine I plugged it into had some motherboard
hardware issues... aka the PCI slot is bad somewhere...

The Compaq Smart Array 5302, which is a 2 channel 160MB/s, SCSI RAID
controller, also runs flawlessly. It, too has 128MB of battery-bcked
cache. This card is a 64-bit PCI form-factor, and it is running great
in a 32-bit slot on a Tyan motherboard, with a Pentium III 667/256/133.


These array controllers DO have a very prominent BIOS display during
boot, which I had previously not seen, due to a faulty PCI slot. It
displays Compaq in RED with some other expected text and a prompt to
enter a BIOS menu just like any other card.

ANYONE ON A BUDGET LOOKING TO PLAY WITH SCSI RAID 5 !!!
These Compaq cards are great! I have freaked out, but found my
answer.... now you can buy em with confidence... and enjoy... for I
have confirmed that they are DIRT CHEAP and WORK GREAT!

THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED OUT!

(and yes I meant to SCREAM! I am extremely happy right now! Thanks
again, all!)

KC

kcoriginal@xxxxxxxxx

www.kcoriginal.com
www.spazzmania.org

kcoriginal wrote:
DUR!
I was so excited... I missed the part where you confirmed the 32-bit
PCI compatibility...
Thanx again!

I will update this for others as soon as I have results...! Negative or
positive...

kcoriginal wrote:
Benjamin,

I am speechless, Sir... I cannot thank-you enough!

My time is SOOOO limited and each project I pick.... if I end up biting
off too much I just spin out for a week and eventually dont get very
far and learn even less...

I didnt want to risk this new BIG VARIABLE / unknown confusing my
attempts at grassroots digging and learning, you know!?

Well... thanks to you I am going to forge ahead!

Do you know if the 64-bit 5302 will work in a 32-bit PCI slot like so
many other cards from Adaptec and LSI? It didn't seem to work at first,
I don't see any BIOS messages... no menu prompts...

Thank-you sooo much!

KC

Benjamin Gawert wrote:
* kcoriginal:

The problem is... nothing is SUPPORTED (by Compaq/HP) other than Compaq
Proliant hardware.

Right. The same like IBM supports basically only IBM hardware, SGI
supports only SGI hardware, Dell supports only Dell hardware, and Sun
supports only Sun hardware...

You know that "is not supported" doesn't necessarily mean "it does not
run"? "Is not supported" simply is shortterm for "we haven't tested our
device in other systems which are not from us so we can't say if it
works or not, and even if it works if you have problems you're on your own".

Are you saying you know that the 5302 (and/or
possible the 3200) HAVE been know to function properly on a non-Compaq
motherboard, etc?

Yes, exactly. The 5302 (which btw is made by Adaptec) runs great on most
generic standard mainboards out there. It even runs fine in a 32bit PCI
slot...

This would be great news for me. I am digging deeper into Linux and
will soon be ready to attempt the manual installs, to find out if this
can be done. I had decided to go with Solaris for my file server, but
have stepped back to RH FC4, temporarily, to narrow down some of my
variables... there are so many help files strewn about the internet for
RH derivatives...

If you have any experience with these devices working on ANY non-Compaq
platform... please enlighten me, Sir!

I can't say much about RH Linux since I avoid Linux as far as possible
but under Windows the 5302 works perfectly fine with non-HP computers.
For example, one 5302 once ran in a generic el-cheapo selfmade Athlon64
computer with IIRC ECS nForce4-A939 mainboard. Another one ran in an old
Siemens SCENIC P3-600 computer, two others are running in a intel Dual
P3 Tualatin rack server. I've put my 5302s in several computers and
found not a single one where they didn't work.

I also don't see why people always claim that this and that is
proprietary hardware. Vendors like HP have most of their parts developed
by 3rd party companies like Adaptec in this case. The controllers use
generic PCI-X slots, they have a generic BIOS and they behave like most
other generic SCSI RAID controller you can buy. Just because it has an
HP or Compaq sticker doesn't make it proprietary.

Benjamin

.

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