Compaq SCSI Drive - in non Compaq machine

[peteytoo]

I have four Compaq SCSI Drives (OEM'd Seagate ST39204LC) - that I would like to use in a non-Compaq RAID (connect to IBM ServeRAID running Linux)... During detection, there is some 'beeping' and invalid ASCII characters appear in the SCSI Name for the device. The drives will not spin up when connected to the RAID, but will when connected to an Adaptec AIC7890 controller (the name still is strange). I've tried to upgrade the firmware to make the drive work as an ST39204LC, but the upgrade utility will not work. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

I have two ORIGINAL Seagate ST39204LC's that work fine in the same machine.

(Also tried them in an HP NetRAID, and they spin up, but are not recognized)

 

[samuelma]

Jumpers, Jumpers, Jumpers...

Look at the jumper configuration of your existing drives and match them on the new drives.

I use some compaq drives in my home Linux and W98 machines using Adapetec 29xx controllers.
I had to look up the jumper configurations on the seagate website.

 

[peteytoo]

SamuelMa:

The drives all have the same jumper configuration -- no jumpers at all. They don't have assigned SCSI ID's because the RAID card assigns them automatically - When your SCSI BIOS boots, what does it identify the Compaq drives as? (mine says: "Tandem 3960 ".... followed by 15 or so crazy ASCII characters. Even w/ the funky name, they appear usable when connected to a standard SCSI controller, but both the NetRAID and ServeRAID refuse to use them.

Pete

 

[dieselfreak]

Try updating the firmware on the drives...

http://www.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/download/13425.html

 

[Potpourri]

I have seen some drives that have a "start yourself" jumper.
Usually, in an array, this is not done because all the drives starting at once can blow the power supply. In the "advanced" section of my Adaptec cards configuration utility there is an option to "send start unit command". You can space them out so they spin up sequentially instead of all at once.