replacement disk for storagetek/clariion array

Sun Jun 2 20:38:00 PDT 2002

On Fri, May 31, 2002 at 03:43:18PM -0700, Brandon Yu wrote:
> I found out that Storagetek drives are custom drives formatted with
> 520byte/sectors (not the usual 512byte/sectors). So you have to buy the
> drives from the Storagetek Channel reseller. You cannot just take a off the
> shelf drive and format it yourself. Now to find a drive...I will need
> luck!!!

	520 bytes per sector is just another standard for SCSI drives - new 
	Netapp drives use same block size;  they are called `block check sum'
	I think.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: jhoney at flash.net [mailto:jhoney at flash.net]
> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 7:18 PM
> To: baylisa at baylisa.org
> Subject: Re: replacement disk for storagetek/clariion array
> 
> 
> I used to work for a computer OEM that indeed ordered 'custom' drives with
> special SCSI commands built into the drives ROM but such things are pretty
> rare nowadays because most OEM consumers wised up and pushed back.  The
> drive mfgrs don't really like this either anyway.  I wouldn't say it was
> impossible that this drive is a 'special' drive but it is unlikely.  I can't
> imagine that it would have to come from the Storagetek factory with a
> special format.  For SCSI that sort of thing (formatting) is usually more in
> the domain of the controller chip on the bus controller card (i.e., not on
> the interface chip of the drive like IDE drives).  That was one of the main
> tenets of IDE.
> 
> I'm just shooting from the hip here but it would seem to me there has to be
> some utility/capability local on your system to support what you want to do.
> Also, using the same model number frive might be a *real* good idea but I am
> assuming you did that.  Whether Storagetek would ever want you to know how
> to do this might be the real issue.  Be sure and share the answer if you
> figure it out.
> 
> Good luck.
> 
> Brandon Yu wrote:
> 
> 
> My array had a failed disk and I replaced it with a off the shelf 18gig
> fibre scsi disk. Seems like the drive is recognized as being unformatted by
> the array.
> Does anyone know if I have to buy from Storagetek..something special about
> the disk?
> 
>