The collected works of recondas - Page 3

jan-jaap wrote: What makes it special are the looks of course. It also has a couple of connectors on the mainboard you won't find in a regular Fuel .

That's a beast that's rarely <if ever> been seen in the wild. If you're willing you might see if Pete would allow some detailed photos in the Gallery - for the historical record.

The rear panel of the Onyx 350 Compute with IP graphics :


and without IP graphics :


The manual obliquely mentions <in a 'note'>:

Note: Because of the placement of the IP graphics card within the module, the option of a redundant cooling fan or DigitalMediaPro DM3 option is not available with this unit.

While it looks like the graphics are placed where one of the cooling fans are normally located, that doesn't answer your question on how the graphics are connected once installed <or even if they can be>.

Here's a couple photos of an Onyx 350 InfinitePerformance system <in a half-rack>:
I'm still looking for an interior shot of the IP graphics module.

Toby did mention:

tjsgifan wrote: there is the Onyx 350 InfinitePerformance system that has a V12 card installed in it. This is a standard O350 chassis, nothing super special about it.

If you'd like some details, here's the hinv and gfxinfo from the one Toby mentioned <that's where the photos came from as well>.:

R-ten-K wrote: I have seen the exact same case skins internally inside SGI, but it was a generic x86 ATX machine.

You aren't the only nekochan reader to have had the opportunity to have been "internally inside SGI", but you're certainly in the minority.

jan-jaap wrote: with 'Asterix prototype ' stickers on it ..........It also has a couple of connectors on the mainboard you won't find in a regular Fuel

Whether it's a prototype <and I don't doubt jj's account for a second> or a Fuel in a some previously unknown <to the general public> case, it's definitely an unusual Fuel - and even more so because it came directly from SGI.

loonvf wrote: Does the Origin350 have possibilities for keyboard and mouse?

Yes, there are PS/2 K&M ports, or via an added USB card <then PROM/IRIX support would be similar to the O300 series>.

loonvf wrote: I have been involved in turning an Origin2k into an Onyx2MXE

Indeed you were. I had a lot of fun with the O2k graphics mod - thanks for your contributions!

japes wrote: Do you mean InfinitePerfromance? Not UltimatePerformance.

I'm pretty sure he did, UltimatePerformance is truly a horse of a different color - it's ATI based.

japes wrote: There were Tezro rack mount models which I figured they were basically the same as an Origin/Onyx 300/350.

Interesting thought. There's a Onyx 350 IP hinv in the topic linked in bri3d's post. The part number for the IP V12 <030-1909-003> seems to be unique <although to be fair, I wasn't able to turn up an hinv or part number for a Tezro rack system>. The Tezro Visual Workstation Hardware User's Guide: Rackmount Configuration Guide does have an illustration of the rack-type V12:

leaknoil wrote: ... my Sun drives will not show up as DAT drives. They always show up as Cartridge drives. They appear to be working fine though. mt and tar appear to work. The one SGI drive I had showed up as a DAT drive even though its basically the same model as the Sun drives. Might just be going by the firmware. Could this cause an issue with the tool or tar ?

While seen as a "cartridge drive", IRIX won't use any of the features specific to the drive such as compression. Fortunately the situation is pretty easy to correct.

Make a backup of /var/sysgen/master.d/scsi <as /var/sysgen/master.d/scsi.OLD or something similar>.

At a command prompt <while the Sun DAT is connected> run "mt status" <you'll need the info it returns>

Open the original copy of /var/sysgen/master.d/scsi with nedit <as root>.

Find the identification string that most closely matches the features of your Sun DAT drive <if the SGI branded drive has the same hardware mechanism, it should work when modified>.

Duplicate <copy and paste so that /var/sysgen/master.d/scsi contains two identical ID strings> and edit the copy as described in this wiki: http://www.nekochan.net/wiki/ ... r_IRIX_6.5

josehill wrote: I hadn't noticed that wiki entry before - nice job!

Thanks - hope leaknoil finds it helpful.

leaknoil - you a motorcycle rider?

leaknoil wrote: Thanks for the info. Couldn't make it happen in Solaris but, sticking it on a O2 and changing that file worked.

You're welcome - glad to hear it was helpful.

leaknoil wrote: Besides collecting old computer iron I also collect old British iron.

Nice! My first bike was a 1971 BSA 650 Lightning <wish I still had it>.

hamei - Isn't that Dick Mann?

leaknoil - I don't remember which IRIX revision I was using when I modified /var/sysgen/master.d/scsi for the DEC DLT mentioned in the wiki article <I'm still using the DLT>. The system is running 6.5.30 now. If IRIX was earlier than .30 when I modified master.d/scsi, the upgrade to .30 kept the older master.d/scsi - the modified file appears untouched by any IRIX upgrades. It still contains comments I inserted during the modification, and revision <1.66> is still the same as the backup copy </var/sysgen/master.d/scsi.OLD>.

D-EJ915 wrote: That's actually a cool idea, I thought about it before too as the CDs are not any normal standard but didn't know how to actually accomplish the task.

JJ - The specifics/differences of your bootable DVD recipe would make a great addendum to the Bootable EFS CDROM article in the neko-wiki.

I was scanning through some of the documentaion for the flash utility for the LSI SAS boards and noticed the LSI SAS3800X on the list of LSI SAS1064/1068 based HBAs. The LSI SAS3800X has eight external SAS/SATA ports <via two SFF8470 connectors>. The Data Sheet for the SAS3800X also mentions that it uses the IRIX/IP35 supported LSI SAS1068 controller.

There's always a risk in being the first to try anything, but based on the reported success with the SAS3442X(-R) and the SAS3041X-R, it *ought* to work. The SAS3800X might be a nice solution for someone with limited internal expansion <Origin 3xx(x)?> to whom the external only ports would be an advantage. Eight 1TB SATA drives in an XVM array would be interesting <or two four-drive/4TB mirrors>.



If someone wants to try the SAS3800X, there's an currently a listing for more than 10, "factory sealed" SAS3800Xs with a buy-it-now price of $95: http://cgi.ebay.com/LSI-LOGIC-SAS3800X- ... 18Q2el1247

The PCI slots are 3.3v only <no 5v PCBs>. From the Silicon Graphics 320 Visual Workstation Owner's Guide; Chapter 5; Option Cards :

TechPubs wrote: Note: The Silicon Graphics 320 visual workstation supports 3.3-volt PCI cards only. It does not support 5.0-volt PCI cards.

http://techpubs.sgi.com/library/tpl/cgi ... /ch05.html

The 3.3v and 5v slots are keyed differently, so you couldn't physically insert a 5v only card. There was a 'universal' PCI voltage spec - cards that were designed to support either voltage were keyed to fit in both 3.3 and 5v slots.

mapesdhs wrote: Also, would the SAS3041XL-S work ok aswell?

As long as has either the LSISAS1064 or LSISAS1068 chipset it should work - I didn't see a specific mention of the SAS3041XL-S nomenclature on LSI's site. You might want to confirm it's the correct height profile, the "L" in the product name might mean it's equipped with a L ow-profile bracket? <though it looks like the retail version comes with both the low and normal height brackets>.

For reference, here's a photo of the one I have: and here's a closeup of the LSISAS1064 chip:

EDIT: Found this eBay listing for a SAS3041XL-S, and it appears to be identical to the one pictured above - it's referred to as an SAS3041X-R farther down in the listing, so the XL-S probably for marketing purposes to identify what's included and how it's packaged <I suspect that on is in OEM rather than retail form>.

nekonoko did a few diskperf tests with a SATA drive <connected to a LSI SAS3442X-R> and posted the results here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14309&p=112922&#p112922

The following is a list of PCI-X SAS/SATA host bus adapters based on the LSI SAS1064 and LSI SAS1068 controllers supported by IRIX on the Fuel and other IP35 platforms. The list was gathered from the SAS HBA section of LSI's web site :

- LSI SAS3041X-R: 4 ports; all internal via four individual SATA connections.

- LSI SAS3442X(-R):

Nice!

emachine wrote: The PCI card is a NPDP-ODEM card (optical disk emulation card). I had to buy one on eBay since my old one is shot. I'd also like to get another one as a spare if anyone has one they would like to sell.

Looks like there's another one on eBay.uk: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %26fvi%3D1 - it's higher than your target price, but it seems to include some hardware you didn't originally mention:

yungjoon wrote: I found this: http://cgi.ebay.fr/SGI-13w3-VGA-HD15-Ca ... 240%3A1318

Does it work for LCD display ?

I got essentially the same 018-0881-002 cable with the Octane2 I brought from SGI. It has worked with a V8 and a V12 when connected to a Dell 2407wfp, and also works when connected from the 13w3 port on an Onyx300 to the HD-15 port on the same 2400wfp and a Dell 1800FP. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16720118&p=7293104&#p7293104

nuts wrote: Thanks, I found "configmon" that it was using more 320Mb of RAM

That's a symptom, not the disease. Turn off esp <chkconfig esp off> viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12117&p=95418&#p95418

It is possible, but it won't be simple. There was a Dual V12 available directly from SGI as an option for the Octane2. That dual V12 option requires a special XIO carrier so that both V12 boards can be physically fit into the Octane2. You'll need that special carrier <or the skills to make or modify one>.

Other than the specific issues Jose just mentioned, if you're going to do a live upgrade be sure to install patch 5086.

bjames wrote: Can anyone tell me if the risks are low?

Human error is probably the biggest risk factor. You can minimize your exposure by having a fresh back up and or cloning the drive before you start.

As an indirect follow up to josehill's mention that your drive was thermally recalibrating, I had a first generation Cheetah 10k that recalibrated continually. A firmware update and a drive attached cooling fan/heat sink only helped slightly.

But, just on the odd chance that your drive is thermally recalibrating because it's in too warm of an environment , you might want to carefully consider whether or not you want to mess with the cooling fan.

As SGI systems go, the O2 is known as a relatively quiet platform. You might try just the drive to see if that resolves the noise issue to within your tolerance level.

jan-jaap wrote:

hamei wrote: While you're in there, Stranded - try a SATA CD-ROM or DVD-writer. Didn't work for me but wondering if that's my own fault ? I tried a Pioneer.

Did you change the firmware of the LSI card?

As far as removable media drives go, jj is probably correct - the devil may lie in the details <of the firmware>. There is a specific setting in the LSI firmware that enables/disables removable media support. From the "readme" file that comes with the LSI firmware update:
and the 'Field Description' for the 'Removable Media Support' field:
If you're going to flash the firmware you might try checking the firmware/BIOS settings while it's in the PC <but that has all the hallmarks of "too good to be true".......>

strandedinnz wrote: if I have the firmware image from LSI, can I use the "lsflash" utility in IRIX to do the upgrade?

Don't know of anyone who's tried it. Your call, but that's a lot of unknowns to roll together during a firmware flash... firmware intended for use on an intel box, IRIX flash utility, and an HP OEM'd version of the LSI SAS card.......

As a follow up to the removable media drive portion of this topic, I attached an externally mounted Samsung SH-S203 SATA DVD-RW to an Onyx300 equipped with an LSI SAS3442X. The DVD drive is installed in an enclosure with a SAS/SATA SFF8470 multilane adapter/connector - it connects to the external multilane connector on the Onyx300/SAS3442X via an SFF8470 cable.

The drive appeared in an hinv -vm a CDROM icon appeared on the desktop, and when I inserted a DVD the desktop icon changed to read 'DVD'.

Unfortunately I was unable to access the contents of either the DVD or an OEM IRIX CD-ROM. The syslog reports: - so no joy.

IRIX reports the firmware on the SAS3442 as which would be fairly ancient - so a firmware update is probably the next step.

Today I removed the LSI SAS3442X from the Onyx300 and installed it in an Intel box with PCI-X slots <running XP>. I connected the PC installed SAS3442X to the same external enclosure/Samsung SATA DVD-RW <with the same cabling>. After the system booted the new hardware wizard asked to be pointed at the driver and immediately afterwards the SATA DVD-RW appeared in my device tree <no reboot needed>. Tried several different CDs and DVDs - no problems So the LSI SAS3442X *will* allow the use of optical drives. I didn't make any changes to the firmware settings in the controller, I wonder what it is that IRIX doesn't like? <although every CD-RW or DVD-RW I've tried have generated a syslog message or two when a disk was inserted and/or read>

While the controller is in the intel box I'll reflash the firmware to see what effect that will have once it's back in the Onyx300.

EDIT: Looks like a firmware update will not be possible. The SAS3442X I have has the 1068(A0) chipset. The DOS boot disk version of the firmware updater for SAS3442X only has images for LSI 1068 chipsets version A3 through B3 - regardless if the updater is run in IR (Integrated RAID) or IT (Initiator Target) mode. <there is apparently a relatively new windows based flash installer tool, but as I write this, the download page for the SAS3442X omits the link to access the associated firmware/BIOS images>. I emailed LSI support and got a very prompt response; unfortunately it appears a firmware update for my A0 chipset SAS3442X will never be a possibility:

Please accept my apologies, but there is no firmware available for boards with the A0 chipset. This is a prototype board, so new later revisions were made.

Best Regards,
LSI Support
Global Support Service

I also mentioned the missing firmware images on the 3442X web page, and they fixed that within the hour.

My guess is that this *isn't* directly a controller or SATA issue. Both seem to have done what's expected of them - the LSI controller and the attached DVD-RW appear to IRIX when and where they should.

I'm starting to wonder if the underlying issue is IRIX's inability to correctly interpret/implement the use of <at least some> DVD-RW drives. The syslog error message complaining about an invalid command code is familiar - I got command code error messages when I connected a DVD-RW via one of the Yamaha SCSI>IDE adapters <and, as I recall, even with certain SCSI CD-RW drives>. I don't know enough about SCSI command codes to interpret how the implications of the command code error message < [Alert] Illegal request: Invalid command code (asc=0x20, asq=0x0) CDB: 1a 0 3f 0 fe 0 >.

The nekochan membership spans quite a bit of knowledge - anyone have any thoughts?

sybrfreq wrote: er... mind the date...

Patrick's last sign-in was February 2006.....

hamei wrote: One question for people with two CD-ROM drives - do you have a /CDROM2 entry in the file system ?

Yep - autocreated when I booted with a second CD drive <tho it my case it's a SCSI attached CDRW drive>. Once created, the directory /CDROM2 is persistent unless manually removed.