SunOS 4.1.1 and sync scsi

[Benjamin Clardy]

Our main computing bottleneck seems to be disk speed.  Specifically, we
have SAS analyzing fairly large datasets, 5MB - 150MB, so sustained disk
throughput is very important.  I have tried to implement sync scsi under
4.1 changing the scsi_options in the kernel to 0x38 but I can not tell any
noticeable effect in speed.  In addition, if I set the jumpers on my
M2263SAs to 4.0MB/s max transfer rate (instead of 2.7MB/s) the drive fails
to function properly.

Do I need to go to SunOS 4.1.1 to take advantage of sync scsi?  What type
of throughput inccrease with sync scsi can I see on a SLC?

What other advantages does 4.1.1 have over 4.1?

FLAME ON

My internal Maxtor 207MB hard disk in my IPC just failed again for the
second time in 6 months.  This time the drive is not covered under Sun's
whole THREE month warranty.  They want $600 for a new one with a 30 day
lead time, $1080 for one with a 1 day lead time.  I said screw it, and
went out to Fast Access and picked up the Fujitsu that I already had on
order.  (This is not a commercial for Fast Access, but they did help me
out of a bind).  The Fujitsu was $1413 for 660MB, with a SIXTY month
warranty.

Why is Sun selling a drive with a MTBF (at least for me) of three months?
Ah, but perhaps that is why the warranty is only for three months.

I am buying all of my machines diskless from now on.
Long live my Fujitsus
FLAME OFF

Benjamin Clardy
bkc2 at midway.uchicago.edu