Dell SCSI Array Controller

Preconfiguration Information

Although the Dell SCSI Array (DSA) controller is physically connected to SCSI devices, the interface to composite drives (logical disks the controller has constructed out of one or more physical disks) is that of a direct access disk (DADK). SCSI commands cannot be sent to composite drives on a SCSI array controller. Noncomposite devices (such as a tape or CD-ROM) cannot be accessed with the dsa driver.

• Install the controller in any slot between 1 and 8.

• Do not use targets 0 or 7 for any SCSI device.

• Install your CD-ROM as target 6 on channel 0 of the DSA controller.

• If there are two DSA controllers, the CD-ROM must be attached to the one in the lower-numbered EISA slot.

• The disk drive(s) that will make up your bootable composite drive must be on channel 0 of the DSA controller.

• If there are two DSA controllers, the disk(s) must be attached to the one in the lower-numbered EISA slot.

• Up to 14 physical devices may be attached to a single DSA controller since each controller has two SCSI buses.

Known Problems and Limitations

• Creating more than six composite drives causes the installation program to fail.

• The Disk Prep window overlaps the Continue Installation selection and other items on the screen when installing with six composite drives.

Configuration Procedure

Using the EISA configuration utility:

• Enable the DSA 16-bit ROM BIOS. On some systems this may be called the Option ROM Address.

• Make sure the Enhanced Mode Address is 16-bit enabled.

• Enable Adaptec AHA-1540 emulation on the DSA controller in the lower- numbered EISA slot only, the one with the CD-ROM attached.

During the EISA configuration, if you need to manually edit the BIOS base address and there are two DSA controllers, assign the controller in the lower-numbered EISA slot an address that is lower than the second one. This forces the BIOS to spin up the disks on the secondary controller so they are accessible after a cold boot.

Dell Disk Manager Setup

If your disk did not come from Dell, you must use the Dell Disk Manager Setup to low-level format the hard disk before completing the following:

1. Set up one or more composite drives using the Dell DOS software array manager program.

2. Make one composite drive on controller 1 "Drive 0 - Composite Drive A."

   This will be the drive containing the bootable Solaris partition.

3. Select any RAID level supported by the controller.

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   Note -

   All disk drives used by the Solaris software (except the CD-ROM used during the initial installation) must be composite drives having one or more physical drives.

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4. Enable Adaptec AHA-1540 emulation on the CD-ROM drive:

   1. Set targets 0-5 to OFF.

   2. Set target 6 to emulate the CD-ROM drive, SCSI ID 6.

   3. Set target 7 to emulate the controller ID.

5. Save your configuration changes.

Special Cases

Adding a Dell SCSI Array Controller as a Secondary Controller

If there is already a primary (boot) controller and you are now adding a Dell SCSI Array controller as a secondary controller:

• Make sure it is properly installed in any slot between 1 and 8.

• Do not use targets 0 or 7 for any SCSI device.

• Enable the DSA 16-bit ROM BIOS. On some systems, this may be called the Option ROM Address.

Dell Disk Manager Setup

If your disk did not come from Dell, use the Dell Disk Manager Setup to low-level format the hard disk before completing these steps:

1. Set up one or more composite drives with the Dell DOS software array manager program.

2. Select any RAID level supported by the controller.

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   Note -

   All disk drives accessible by the Solaris software must be composite drives, composed of one or more physical drives.

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3. Save your configuration changes.