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HP OpenVMS Systemsask the wizard |
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The Question is: I have a M4 1/2" scsi tape unit on a Alpha 1000. I have been told (by M4) that I need to upgrade the tape device drivers, as I am having problems using the tape unit more than once after a system boot. I cannot find any reference to this update in the P atches/ECO. Any help would be much appreciated. The Answer is :
You can certainly purchase third-party "generic" SCSI disks or tapes
for your AlphaServer 1000.
If you purchase third-party "generic" SCSI devices, you and your SCSI
device vendor will be responsible for the testing and the support of the
devices. Compaq will address problems in the host interface (changes
that will not prevent operations with supported devices, of course), but
you and the device vendor are responsible for problems in the device.
Realize that SCSI is not a standard interface, it is a collection of
optionally-implemented and standardized interface features. Do not
simply assume that all SCSI devices are interchangable.
Each SCSI host contains non-trivial SCSI driver software, and each SCSI
device contains equally non-trivial firmware -- taken together with the
mechanical and electronic components, this software and firmware will
communicate storage-related requests using the standard SCSI protocol.
Hosts and devices have various optionally-implemented features, and both
also implement vendor-specific protocol extensions for operations outside
those explicitly specified in the SCSI protocol.
Integration and testing work is mandatory with each new SCSI device, and
there can be no certainty that any particular SCSI device will operate as
expected in any particular configuration without first performing this
(non-trivial) work.
Please review the previous discussions of third-party SCSI device support
issues here in Ask The Wizard.
The ECO kits available for problems with OpenVMS are located at:
http://search.service.digital.com/
These may or may not address problems with your M4 tape device.
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