Re: indicator lights on SBB disks - DEC

This is a discussion on Re: indicator lights on SBB disks - DEC ; Phillip Helbig---remove CLOTHES to reply wrote: > On the Storage Works building-block (SBB) disks (e.g. for use in the > BA35x shelves), there are usually (always?) two indicator lights at the > front. However, what they mean seems to vary ...

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Thread: Re: indicator lights on SBB disks

  1. Re: indicator lights on SBB disks

    Phillip Helbig---remove CLOTHES to reply wrote:

    > On the Storage Works building-block (SBB) disks (e.g. for use in the
    > BA35x shelves), there are usually (always?) two indicator lights at the
    > front. However, what they mean seems to vary with the disk model. Some
    > have one light on all the time, some only during activity.
    >
    > Does anyone have a list of all the SBB disks and what the indicator
    > lights mean?

    The green light indicates activity. The amber light is generally controlled
    by some type of controller on the bus, and means what the controller wants
    it to mean.

    > At the moment, I'm testing some 2-GB disks (all of them show up as RZ 28
    > from VMS, though one has a different label (SWXD3-SB) on the disk
    > itself). I have 5 RZ28M-VA disks. One is physically damaged (it knocks
    > when powered up). Of the other 4, three light up only at power-up time
    > and briefly during activity. One of them, though, has an amber LED
    > which is lit up all the time. (All have two LEDs on the left side, in
    > the other cases both (I think) are green. In the different case, it is
    > the LED towards the center which is the contantly lit amber one.) The
    > disk seems to behave just as the others do, so I don't think this
    > indicates a problem. (I have some more modern disks which, if I recall
    > correctly, always have an LED lit, though I think it is green.)

    The amber light, as indicated above indicates what the controller wants it
    to mean. However, you may not have a controller (like an HSJ40), but
    rather an adapter (like a PCI-SCSI card). In this case, then, the amber
    light doesn't mean anything. Unfortunately, the light's input floats in
    this situation, and when powered up it may turn on or it may not. If it
    does, cycle the power and it'll probably go off.

    > While I'm on the topic, what's the story with the SW* disk names? They
    > seem to have the same capacity as various RZ* disks, and at least some
    > show up as RZ* disks from VMS. Also, is there a definitive list of what
    > the various stuff in the names mean? Take the RZ28B-VA, for example. I
    > know that RZ indicates a SCSI disk, and 28 indicates 2 GB. IIRC, VA
    > indicates that this is a narrow disk (10 Mb/s). Correct? What about
    > the B or, in other cases, the M?

    RZ disks are for big systems, and generally have internal settings to suit
    the large systems. They also tend to be more expensive.

    SWX disks are for PCs, and generally have internal settings to suit a PC.
    They tend to be cheaper to suit the PC marketplace.

    The -VA simply means "narrow". It does not imply 10MB/sec. After all,
    there are CDROMs and tape drives with -VA suffixes, and they are only
    5MB/sec.

    The RZ28 vs. RZ28B vs. RZ28M simply indicate the type and manufacturer of
    the disk inside the packaging.

    > Looking around, I see I also have the following:
    >
    > RZ29L-AS, RZ26L, RZ29L-AA, RZ23L (as well as just RZ2% with nothing
    > else). I seem to recall that the RZ23L was a bit larger than the RZ23
    > so that one could just put the then-current version of VMS (possibly
    > tailored, and of course for VAX) on it. But what about the other
    > letters?
    >
    > Also, I see I have a couple of EZ32 disks. These are solid-state disks,
    > but seem to work just like a normal disk (at the moment, they are
    > connected to a DEC 3000/300LX and are in a BA356). Z I suppose is SCSI
    > here as well---what does E mean as opposed to R? Is it just solid-state
    > as opposed to a "proper" disk? What do the letters mean (Real and
    > Electr(on)ic, or what? :-) )

    E=Electronic, R=Rotating.

    --

    Stu

  2. Re: indicator lights on SBB disks

    In article , Stuart Fuller
    writes:

    > The amber light, as indicated above indicates what the controller wants it
    > to mean. However, you may not have a controller (like an HSJ40), but
    > rather an adapter (like a PCI-SCSI card).

    Right. But isn't a SCSI adapter a controller? :-)

    > In this case, then, the amber
    > light doesn't mean anything. Unfortunately, the light's input floats in
    > this situation, and when powered up it may turn on or it may not. If it
    > does, cycle the power and it'll probably go off.

    Right, it did.

    > RZ disks are for big systems, and generally have internal settings to suit
    > the large systems. They also tend to be more expensive.

    Since I got all mine for free (including the EZ solid-state disks, which
    I understand were very expensive when new), I didn't notice any
    difference. :-)

    > SWX disks are for PCs, and generally have internal settings to suit a PC.
    > They tend to be cheaper to suit the PC marketplace.

    What, in particular, is different with respect to the setting. As far
    as I can tell, both work equally well on VMS. Perhaps the RZ will last
    longer. :-)

    > The -VA simply means "narrow". It does not imply 10MB/sec. After all,
    > there are CDROMs and tape drives with -VA suffixes, and they are only
    > 5MB/sec.

    Right.

    > The RZ28 vs. RZ28B vs. RZ28M simply indicate the type and manufacturer of
    > the disk inside the packaging.

    So Seagate, Quantum etc?

  3. Re: indicator lights on SBB disks

    Phillip Helbig---remove CLOTHES to reply wrote:

    > In article , Stuart Fuller
    > writes:
    >
    >> The amber light, as indicated above indicates what the controller wants
    >> it
    >> to mean. However, you may not have a controller (like an HSJ40), but
    >> rather an adapter (like a PCI-SCSI card).
    >
    > Right. But isn't a SCSI adapter a controller? :-)

    Only for the uninformed. :-) back atcha (-:

    >> In this case, then, the amber
    >> light doesn't mean anything. Unfortunately, the light's input floats in
    >> this situation, and when powered up it may turn on or it may not. If it
    >> does, cycle the power and it'll probably go off.
    >
    > Right, it did.

    Whew - lucky guess on my part, eh?

    >> RZ disks are for big systems, and generally have internal settings to
    >> suit
    >> the large systems. They also tend to be more expensive.
    >
    > Since I got all mine for free (including the EZ solid-state disks, which
    > I understand were very expensive when new), I didn't notice any
    > difference. :-)

    You wouldn't, anyway. They're the same disks for the most part.

    >> SWX disks are for PCs, and generally have internal settings to suit a PC.
    >> They tend to be cheaper to suit the PC marketplace.
    >
    > What, in particular, is different with respect to the setting. As far
    > as I can tell, both work equally well on VMS. Perhaps the RZ will last
    > longer. :-)

    In earlier versions of VMS, the SCSI DKDRIVER was fussy about some of the
    auto-reallocate functions and settings of SCSI disk drives, mainly because
    some of the earlier drives didn't get it right. So, DKDRIVER wanted drives
    with the auto-reallocation settings turned off. Newer versions of
    DKDRIVER no longer care as much.

    The RZ will not likely last longer.

    >> The -VA simply means "narrow". It does not imply 10MB/sec. After all,
    >> there are CDROMs and tape drives with -VA suffixes, and they are only
    >> 5MB/sec.
    >
    > Right.
    >
    >> The RZ28 vs. RZ28B vs. RZ28M simply indicate the type and manufacturer of
    >> the disk inside the packaging.
    >
    > So Seagate, Quantum etc?

    The RZ28 was made by DEC (yes, *made* by DEC). The RZ28B was made by HP
    (how ironic). I don't know (nor care) who made the RZ28M or RZ28D. I
    suppose I would take the canister apart if I really wanted to know.

    --

    Stu

  4. Re: indicator lights on SBB disks

    Stuart Fuller wrote in
    news:q0lei2-rkk.ln1@dadsys2.fuller.com:

    > Phillip Helbig---remove CLOTHES to reply wrote:
    >

    >>> The -VA simply means "narrow". It does not imply 10MB/sec. After
    >>> all, there are CDROMs and tape drives with -VA suffixes, and they
    >>> are only 5MB/sec.
    >>
    >> Right.
    >>
    >>> The RZ28 vs. RZ28B vs. RZ28M simply indicate the type and
    >>> manufacturer of the disk inside the packaging.
    >>
    >> So Seagate, Quantum etc?
    >
    > The RZ28 was made by DEC (yes, *made* by DEC). The RZ28B was made by
    > HP (how ironic). I don't know (nor care) who made the RZ28M or RZ28D.
    > I suppose I would take the canister apart if I really wanted to know.

    My RZ28's were made by Quantum, RZ28D = Seagate Barracuda, RZ28M =
    Seagate Hawk
    SWXD3-SC = RZ26L-VA by Quantum
    RZ29B = Seagate Barracuda
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