Recommended SCSI Host Adapters, Cables, and Terminators

Adaptec's adapters are a good choice because they work well and come with the necessary formatting and operating software. Windows NT/2000/XP/Server 2003 all feature built-in support for Adaptec SCSI adapters. This support is a consideration in many cases because it frees you from having to deal with additional drivers.

For maximum performance, you should use the fastest slot available for your SCSI host adapter card. For example, if your motherboard has PCI-Express x4 slots, you should use them. If you don't have PCI-Express x4 but you have PCI-X slots (which run at up to 133MHz), you should use a PCI-X SCSI host adapter. If your motherboard does not have PCI-Express x4 or PCI-X slots, but has 64-bit/66MHz PCI slots, you should use a 64-bit/66MHz PCI SCSI host adapter. If you want to add SAS support to a motherboard that lacks SAS host adapters, you can choose from PCI-Express or PCI-X host adapters. PCI-Express is faster than PCI-X, but PCI-Express is supported by only some of the very latest servers.

See "PCI, PCI-X, and PCI-Express," p. 261.

Like all modern PCI adapters, PnP is supported, meaning virtually all functions on the card can be configured and set through software. This means no more digging through manuals or looking for interrupt, DMA, I/O port, and other jumper settings; everything is controlled by software and saved in a flash memory module on the card. The following are some features found on recent SCSI cards:

Complete configuration utility built in to the adapter's ROM
Software-configurable IRQ, ROM addresses, DMA, I/O port addresses, SCSI parity, SCSI ID, and other settings
Software-selectable automatic termination (no resistors to pull out!)
Enhanced BIOS support for up to 15 drives
No drivers required for more than two hard disks
Drive spin-up on a per-drive basis available
Boots from any SCSI ID

Adaptec has full PnP support on all its SCSI adapters. These adapters are either automatically configured in any PC that supports the PnP specification or can be configured manually through supplied software in non-PnP systems. The PnP SCSI adapters are highly recommended because they can be configured without opening up the PC. All functions are set by software, and there are no jumpers or switches to attend to. Most peripheral manufacturers write drivers for Adaptec's cards first, so you do not have many compatibility or driver-support problems with Adaptec cards.

For SCSI cables, CS Electronics (www.scsi-cables.com) are good because this company can supply or custom-manufacture virtually any SCSI cable or adapter. It can also supply a wide range of terminators, as can a company called East/West Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (formerly Aeronics), which is also worth a look (www.ewme.com).

Chapter 8. I/O System Hardware

Although most server activity is network centered, I/O ports and devices still have important functions to perform in a server. I/O ports such as USB and video ports enable local control and monitoring of a server. Keyboards enable commands to be entered during server setup and for maintenance and troubleshooting. With the addition of keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switches, a single keyboard, mouse, and display can be used to manage multiple servers. CD and DVD drives can be used for installing applications and for backup of low-end servers.

To make your server as reliable and useful as possible, it's important that you understand when I/O hardware might need driver and firmware updates, how to specify the right mix of I/O hardware for a particular server and its mission, and how to troubleshoot that hardware. This chapter is designed to help you master the I/O hardware your servers use.

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Mueller S., Soper M.E., Sosinsky B.

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