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From: "Rodney W. Grimes" <rgrimes@GndRsh.aac.dev.com>
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Subject: Re: Newsserver running NCR815 cards
In-Reply-To: <329A1EA6.2EA07EF4@w3page.com> from Blaine Minazzi at "Nov 25, 96 03:33:10 pm"
To: bminazzi@w3page.com (Blaine Minazzi)
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 17:36:51 -0800 (PST)
Cc: isp@FreeBSD.ORG
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> Joe Greco wrote:
> > 
> > > > 6: Spending a couple extra bucks for better drives will fix problem and
> > > >    also get you tagged queueing if you usr NCR controllers.  Better fix.
> > >
> > > My drives are fast and reliable - They dont work with NCR under FreeBSD.
> > 
> > But the question is WHY?
> > 
> > > The drives are 3 GB DEC Drives (aka Micropolis OEM), so I would rather buy
> > > AHA2940s than tossing out 12 of these drives :):)
> > 
> > Well, sure, but it would be nice to see if there isn't something that could
> > be done to fix the problem.  But first it needs to be determined..
> 
> Thats true... Have to determine where the problem is. Until then, many
> of us have to use an Adaptec, or some other card. 

This is a ``heads up warning'' from the AAI test labs.  The new Quantum
Atlas-II drives (specifically the QM34550AL-S model) has abismal performance
when talking to an NCR 53C810 under 2.1.6 (<3MB/sec read and write).  The
drive kicks some serious bytes when talking to an AHA2940U in the same
system (>9MB/sec in fast scsi-ii mode, >11MB/sec in Ultra mode).

The current status of the NCR problem is ``Quantum's compatibility lab
has been handed the open trouble report, and an engineer will be getting
back to you''.

Anyone else out there playing with one of the new Atlas-II drives that
has any data about it, good or bad, please contact me.  Especially if
you see numbers >3MB/sec on an NCR based controller running _ANY_ OS
on any hardware, or anyone seeing <3MB/sec with something other than
an NCR controller chip.

-- 
Rod Grimes                                      rgrimes@gndrsh.aac.dev.com
Accurate Automation, Inc.                   Reliable computers for FreeBSD