Here is the problem we originally reported:
We have recently tried and failed to install a Sun single-attach FDDI sbus
adapter on a new SS1000E with 50Mhz backplane and 60Mhz cpus. The OS is
Solaris 2.4 with recommended patches. We started with 101766-06 which was
recommended in the fddi install kit. The fddi registered very large numbers
of input errors in netstat and could not output (write files to other
hosts). Sun replaced the fddi card. Same results with new one. Sun then gave
us patch 101766-10; after it was installed netstat registered fewer errors
on input but still could not output successfully.
The hub we're attached to is a Synernetics (now 3Com) that cannot handle
mtu path discovery, so that was disabled via ndd -set /dev/ip
ip_path_discovery 0 in /etc/init.d/inetinit during all testing.
We obtained a Cisco fddi card (model C301T) and installed it in place of
the Sun card, and removed the Sun driver package and installed the Cisco
driver.
The Cisco (formerly Crescendo) adapter ran immediately with no apparent
problems. We have a 670MP with an earlier C301M Crescendo card that has
run for 2 years without any trouble.
I would like to hear of any other experiences with FDDI on SS1000E and will
publish a summary.
===============================================================================
SUMMARY:
Our solution was to buy the Cisco C301T sbus fddi adapter card. After
initial testing, it has been running on the SS1000E server for a week without
any problems.
I received a reply from Bob Beauchamp that supplies technical
details as to why we would have problems using our Synernetics hub with
the Sun fddi card. If you plan to use 3Com hub/Sun fddi combination you
might want to contact Bob first.
Gary Merinstein has installed fddi on about 25 SS1000E's and used
Cisco cards on all of them after having problems with Sun cards. He
uses Cabletron hubs.
Anchi Zhang had similar problems and now uses Cisco cards on all
SS1000's.
Scott Kamin reports success using the Sun fddi card in conjunction
with a Synoptics hub.
Jon Diekema reports success using the Sun fddi card of a Sparc1000
but did not say what kind of hub he uses.
Thanks to all who replied, apologies to anyone who may
have been omitted from the list:
Gary Merinstein <gmerin@panix.com>
pamela@jupiter.Legato.COM (Pamela S. Pledger)
John Dyson <jdyson@AHPCA.HPC.ORG>
leclerc@austin.asc.slb.com
diekema@linus.si.com (Jon Diekema)
Anchi Zhang <anchi@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM>
Scott.Kamin@Central.Sun.COM (Scott Kamin [Sun Denver SE])
bobb@npix.com (Bob Beauchamp)
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Sep 28 2001 - 23:10:27 CDT