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author | mjacob <mjacob@FreeBSD.org> | 2001-10-07 18:26:47 +0000 |
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committer | mjacob <mjacob@FreeBSD.org> | 2001-10-07 18:26:47 +0000 |
commit | 94ad0dbb03b934b2d2b226fa58341ff9546f652e (patch) | |
tree | 0c4b3c516e73a235b6c9d106e3c30a33c3ffe8ed /sys/dev/isp/Hardware.txt | |
parent | 9fcab64afc2f854b238c12899cb2ed45df6b8a69 (diff) | |
download | FreeBSD-src-94ad0dbb03b934b2d2b226fa58341ff9546f652e.zip FreeBSD-src-94ad0dbb03b934b2d2b226fa58341ff9546f652e.tar.gz |
Add some somewhat vague documentation for this driver and a list
of Hardware that might, in fact, work.
Diffstat (limited to 'sys/dev/isp/Hardware.txt')
-rw-r--r-- | sys/dev/isp/Hardware.txt | 304 |
1 files changed, 304 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/sys/dev/isp/Hardware.txt b/sys/dev/isp/Hardware.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dfdc0e7 --- /dev/null +++ b/sys/dev/isp/Hardware.txt @@ -0,0 +1,304 @@ +/* $FreeBSD$ */ + + Hardware that is Known To or Should Work with This Driver + + +0. Intro + + This is not an endorsement for hardware vendors (there will be + no "where to buy" URLs here with a couple of exception). This + is simply a list of things I know work, or should work, plus + maybe a couple of notes as to what you should do to make it + work. Corrections accepted. Even better would be to send me + hardware to I can test it. + + I'll put a rough range of costs in US$ that I know about. No doubt + it'll differ from your expectations. + +1. HBAs + +Qlogic 2100, 2102 + 2200, 2202, 2204 + + There are various suffices that indicate copper or optical + connectors, or 33 vs. 66MHz PCI bus operation. None of these + have a software impact. + + Approx cost: 1K$ for a 2200 + +Qlogic 2300, 2312 + + These are the new 2-Gigabit cards. Optical only. + + Approx cost: ?????? + + +Antares P-0033, P-0034, P-0036 + + There many other vendors that use the Qlogic 2X00 chipset. Some older + 2100 boards (not on this list) have a bug in the ROM that causes a + failure to download newer firmware that is larger than 0x7fff words. + + Approx cost: 850$ for a P-0036 + + + + In general, the 2200 class chip is to be preferred. + + +2. Hubs + +Vixel 1000 +Vixel 2000 + Of the two, the 1000 (7 ports, vs. 12 ports) has had fewer problems- + it's an old workhorse. + + + Approx cost: 1.5K$ for Vixel 1000, 2.5K$ for 2000 + +Gadzoox Cappellix 3000 + Don't forget to use telnet to configure the Cappellix ports + to the role you're using them for- otherwise things don't + work well at all. + + (cost: I have no idea... certainly less than a switch) + +3. Switches + +Brocade Silkworm II +Brocade 2400 +(other brocades should be fine) + + Especially with revision 2 or higher f/w, this is now best + of breed for fabrics or segmented loop (which Brocade + calls "QuickLoop"). + + For the Silkworm II, set operating mode to "Tachyon" (mode 3). + + The web interace isn't good- but telnet is what I prefer anyhow. + + You can't connect a Silkworm II and the other Brocades together + as E-ports to make a large fabric (at least with the f/w *I* + had for the Silkworm II). + + Approx cost of a Brocade 2400 with no GBICs is about 8K$ when + I recently checked the US Government SEWP price list- no doubt + it'll be a bit more for others. I'd assume around 10K$. + +ANCOR SA-8 + + This also is a fine switch, but you have to use a browser + with working java to manage it- which is a bit of a pain. + This also supports fabric and segmented loop. + + These switches don't form E-ports with each other for a larger + fabric. + + (cost: no idea) + +McData (model unknown) + + I tried one exactly once for 30 minutes. Seemed to work once + I added the "register FC4 types" command to the driver. + + (cost: very very expensive, 40K$ plus) + +4. Cables/GBICs + + Multimode optical is adequate for Fibre Channel- the same cable is + used for Gigabit Ethernet. + + Copper DB-9 and Copper HSS-DC connectors are also fine. Copper && + Optical both are rated to 1.026Gbit- copper is naturally shorter + (the longest I've used is a 15meter cable but it's supposed to go + longer). + + The reason to use copper instead of optical is that if step on one of + the really fat DB-9 cables you can get, it'll survive. Optical usually + dies quickly if you step on it. + + Approx cost: I don't know what optical is- you can expect to pay maybe + a 100$ for a 3m copper cable. + +GBICs- + + I use Finisar copper and IBM Opticals. + + Approx Cost: Copper GBICs are 70$ each. Opticals are twice that or more. + + +Vendor: (this is the one exception I'll make because it turns out to be + an incredible pain to find FC copper cabling and GBICs- the source I + use for GBICs and copper cables is http://www.scsi-cables.com) + + +Other: + There now is apparently a source for little connector boards + to connect to bare drives: http://www.cinonic.com. + + +5. Storage JBODs/RAID + +JMR 4-Bay + + Rinky-tink, but a solid 4 bay loop only entry model. + + I paid 1000$ for mine- overprice, IMO. + +JMR Fortra + + I rather like this box. The blue LEDs are a very nice touch- you + can see them very clearly from 50 feet away. + + I paid 2000$ for one used. + +Sun A5X00 + + Very expensive (in my opinion) but well crafted. Has two SES + instances, so you can use the ses driver (and the example + code in /usr/share/examples) for power/thermal/slot monitoring. + + Approx Cost: The last I saw for a price list item on this was 22K$ + for a unpopulated (no disk drive) A5X00. + + +DataDirect E1000 RAID + + Don't connect both SCSI and FC interfaces at the same time- a SCSI + reset will cause the DataDirect to think you want to use the SCSI + interface and a LIP on the FC interface will cause it to think you + want to use the FC interface. Use only one connector at a time so + both you and the DataDirect are sure about what you want. + + Cost: I have no idea. + +Veritas ServPoint + + This is a software storage virtualization engine that + runs on Sparc/Solaris in target mode for frontend + and with other FC or SCSI as the backend storage. FreeBSD + has been used extensively to test it. + + + Cost: I have no idea. + +6. Disk Drives + + I have used lots of different Seagate and a few IBM drives and + typically have had few problems with them. These are the bare + drives with 40-pin SCA connectors in back. They go into the JBODs + you assemble. + + Seagate does make, but I can no longer find, a little paddleboard + single drive connector that goes from DB-9 FC to the 40-pin SCA + connector- primarily for you to try and evaluate a single FC drive. + + All FC-AL disk drives are dual ported (i.e., have separte 'A' and + 'B' ports- which are completely separate loops). This seems to work + reasonably enough, but I haven't tested it much. It really depends + on the JBOD you put them to carry this dual port to the outside + world. The JMR boxes have it. The Sun A5X00 you have to pay for + an extra IB card to carry it out. + + Approx Cost: You'll find that FC drives are the same cost if not + slightly cheaper than the equivalent Ultra3 SCSI drives. + +7. Recommended Configurations + +These are recommendations that are biased toward the cautious side. They +do not represent formal engineering commitments- just suggestions as to +what I would expect to work. + +A. The simpletst form of a connection topology I can suggest for +a small SAN (i.e., replacement for SCSI JBOD/RAID): + +HOST +2xxx <----------> Single Unit of Storage (JBOD, RAID) + +This is called a PL_DA (Private Loop, Direct Attach) topology. + +B. The next most simple form of a connection topology I can suggest for +a medium local SAN (where you do not plan to do dynamic insertion +and removal of devices while I/Os are active): + +HOST +2xxx <----------> +-------- + | Vixel | + | 1000 | + | +<---> Storage + | | + | +<---> Storage + | | + | +<---> Storage + -------- + +This is a Private Loop topology. Remember that this can get very unstable +if you make it too long. A good practice is to try it in a staged fashion. + +It is possible with some units to "daisy chain", e.g.: + +HOST +2xxx <----------> (JBOD, RAID) <--------> (JBOD, RAID) + +In practice I have had poor results with these configurations. They *should* +work fine, but for both the JMR and the Sun A5X00 I tend to get LIP storms +and so the second unit just isn't seen and the loop isn't stable. + +Now, this could simply be my lack of clean, newer, h/w (or, in general, +a lack of h/w), but I would recommend the use of a hub if you want to +stay with Private Loop and have more than one FC target. + +You should also note this can begin to be the basis for a shared SAN +solution. For example, the above configuration can be extended to be: + +HOST +2xxx <----------> +-------- + | Vixel | + | 1000 | + | +<---> Storage + | | + | +<---> Storage + | | + | +<---> Storage +HOST | | +2xxx <----------> +-------- + +However, note that there is nothing to mediate locking of devices, and +it is also conceivable that the reboot of one host can, by causing +a LIP storm, cause problems with the I/Os from the other host. +(in other words, this topology hasn't really been made safe yet for +this driver). + +D. You can repeat the topology in #B with a switch that is set to be +in segmented loop mode. This avoids LIPs propagating where you don't +want them to- and this makes for a much more reliable, if more expensive, +SAN. + +E. The next level of complexity is a Switched Fabric. The following topology +is good when you start to begin to get to want more performance. Private +and Public Arbitrated Loop, while 100MB/s, is a shared medium. Direct +connections to a switch can run full-duplex at full speed. + +HOST +2xxx <----------> +--------- + | Brocade| + | 2400 | + | +<---> Storage + | | + | +<---> Storage + | | + | +<---> Storage +HOST | | +2xxx <----------> +--------- + + +I would call this the best configuration available now. It can expand +substantially if you cascade switches. + +There is a hard limit of about 253 devices for each Qlogic HBA- and the +fabric login policy is simplistic (log them in as you find them). If +somebody actually runs into a configuration that's larger, let me know +and I'll work on some tools that would allow you some policy choices +as to which would be interesting devices to actually connect to. + + |