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From: phil@amd.UUCP (Phil Ngai)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: eagle
Message-ID: <321@amd.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Sep-84 02:20:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: amd.321
Posted: Mon Sep 17 02:20:58 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Sep-84 06:32:48 EDT
References: <13536@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Organization: AMD, Santa Clara, CA
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> what are the pros and cons of upgrading the 9400 unibus controller
> versus changing over to a CMI adapter (prices are roughly the same)?
> 
> Al Conrad

This isn't a direct answer to your question but I thought you should know.

I've worked with an SI9900/9751 (CMI) and Emulex SC750/eagle and thought the
SC750 was much more trouble free from both the installation standpoint
and the reliability standpoint. Also the Berkeley paper on 4.2bsd filesystem
throughput seemed to give the lead to the SC750/eagle combination.

I am told you need a special driver for the 9900 if you want to do bad block
handling (a must in my opinion) because more blocks are in the pipeline or
something like that. SI sent a driver which didn't compile due to 2 missing
constant definitions. I grepped for the two words in all the files they sent
including their .h files and didn't find them. So I had to figure out what
they were and invent them.

The SI system has also had a couple of crashes. Field service of course says
they don't understand Unix and are not especially helpful although they
do try. A system administrator at Berkeley I talked to had some really
nasty things to say about SI.

Our emulex/eagle came up with no problems and has run flawlessly. I would
take it for granted except I've worked with the SI system. 

It's too bad because SI seems to try really hard but in my experience their
9900 disk controller is to be avoided if possible.

(this article is personal opinion and not necessarily endorsed by AMD)
-- 
 Legalized gambling is a tax on the stupid.

 Phil Ngai (408) 982-6554
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