sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sun/NC/north-carolina sunflash-Send requests, problems to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash New 2.1-Gb 3.5-inch Disk Drive SunFLASH Vol 62 #24 February 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62.24 New 2.1-Gb 3.5-inch Disk Drive Sun's Mass Storage for the Desktop Doubles - New 2.1-GB 3.5-inch Fast SCSI-2 disk drive doubles the expansion storage capacity on the desktop - Multi-Disk Pack now offers up to 8.4-GB of storage in the same compact footprint - New 2.1-GB drives included in Server Pack Options (343 lines) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Desktop server and power workstation users can now put more capacity and power on their desktops than ever before. Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC) announces the new 2.1-GB 3.5-inch SCSI disk drive for use in desktop expansion options. These new high performance drives are available in Sun's popular mass storage configurations. The 2.1-GB is a high performance 5400 RPM drive with an average latency of 5.5 ms and a very fast average seek time of 10.5 ms. This drive incorporates a fast single ended SCSI interface providing higher performance and compatability. The new 2.1-GB performance storage options are: X567A 2.1-GB Desktop Storage Pack X568A 2.1-GB Internal Expansion Disk X569A 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack X570A 8.4-GB Multi-Disk Pack The 2.1-GB offers twice the capacity for more than 17% less cost per Megabyte than the 1.05-GB drive options. This new drive gives the power users more buying power without sacrificing quality. The 2.1-GB Desktop Storage Pack and Multi-Disk Pack are easily added to most existing desktop configurations. They have the same compact footprint as Sun's other external mass storage products. The 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack is a new two drive version of Sun's innovative desktop subsystem which can be expanded to four of the high performance 2.1-GB fast SCSI-2 disks. The 8.4-GB Multi-Disk Pack comes with four of these drives factory installed to provide a very high performance, high capacity desktop subsystem. The Multi-Disk Pack packs all of this into the same footprint as the SPARCstation(TM) LX(LX) workstation and the Desktop Storage Packs. No vendor gets this much capacity and performance into such a small space. The Desktop Server Pack options now offer even more power on the desktop with the 2.1-GB drive, the double speed SunCD(TM) Plus drive, and the 20-GB 4mm Tape Auto-Loader drive. The Desktop Server Packs combine several of Sun's most popular storage products to provide a complete solution for workgroup servers. The 2.1-GB drive puts an impressive amount of capacity on the desktop; the new SunCD Plus drive makes loading applications much faster; and the new 20-GB 4mm Tape Autoloader provides 20-GB of unattended backup on the desktop. Two other new Desktop Server Pack options offer the SunCD Plus Drive, the new 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack, and either a 5-GB 4mm Tape Drive or 5-GB 8mm Tape Drive. New powerful Desktop Server Packs are: X2034A 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack, 5-GB 4mm Tape Desktop Backup Pack, Desktop SunCD Plus Pack X2035A 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack 5-GB 8mm Tape Desktop Backup Pack, Desktop SunCD Plus Pack X2036A 8.4-GB Multi-Disk Pack, 20-GB 4mm Tape Auto-Loader Desktop Storage Module, Desktop SunCD Plus Pack FEATURES AND BENEFITS Features Benefits -------- -------- 2.1-GB drive ============ o Double the capacity of the 1.05-GB o Enables larger system configurations drive o Over 17% better price/megabyte o Makes high capacity configurations than the 1.05-GB drive more cost-effective o Sun-optimized firmware o Maximize I/O performance for Sun systems o Supported on same controllers o Protects and enhances customers as the 1.05-GB drive investments in Sun products Database Server Options ======================= o Multi-Disk Pack provides up to o Easy, modular growth for desktop 8.4-GB of high performance disk servers and power user expansion workstations o Up to four high performance o More spindles offers better perf. 3.5-in. disks in one desktop Excellent for a variety of enclosure horizontal and vertical applications, including file servers, database servers, CAD, simulation, publishing, financial, imaging, earth resources, GIS, and research o Much higher quality, safety, and o Customers can buy and use with reliability than third party confidence products o Database Server Option Packs bundle o Easy to order, easy to install, all the peripherals needed for high and easy to own server peripherals capacity desktop servers o The 4mm Tape Auto-Loader provides o Desktop servers are more easily 20-GBs of unattended backup administered than ever before o Ultra-compact Server Packs require o Customers can add capacity to the dramatically less space than desktop creating high capacity pedestals or racks desktop servers Sun offers the following external disk expansion products for desktop SPARCstation and SPARCserver(TM) systems: Description Positioning ----------------------- ----------------------------------------------- 8.4/4.2-GB Multi-Disk Highest capacity, lowest cost per MB expansion Pack storage for desktops. Excellent performance. One or more Multi-Disk Packs are ideal for desktop servers or power user workstations when 4 to 25-GB of storage are needed. 2.1-GB Desktop High capacity, low price per GB desktop Disk Pack storage expansion. Excellent performance. For desktop workstations and servers requiring under 4-GB storage. 1.05-GB Desktop Moderate capacity, high performance desktop Disk Pack expansion. Ideal when 1 or 2-GB of additional storage are required. 535-MB Desktop Entry level, lowest unit price desktop expansion. Disk Pack Customers who need 2-GB or more of external expansion immediately, and who anticipate growing future needs, should consider either the 4.2-GB or the 8.4-GB Multi-Disk Pack. The Multi-Disk Pack offers the benefit of fewer external cables, better space utilization, and lower cost per GB. The File, Database, and LAN Server Option Packs combine disk, tape, and CD-ROM peripherals in a convenient, easy to order, low cost bundle. They should be ordered when configuring a desktop system as a server. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE CONSIDERATIONS ------------------------------------ The 2.1-GB SCSI-2 drive requires Solaris(R) 1.1 or higher operating environment. The 20-GB 4mm Tape Auto-Loader requires Solaris 2.3 or higher operating environment. The 2.1-GB Desktop Storage Pack, the new 4.2/8.4-GB Multi-Disk Packs, and the 20-GB 4mm Tape Auto-Loader Desktop Storage Module options are supported on all currently shipping desktop systems and SPARCserver 1000 systems. The internal 2.1-GB internal expansion disk is supported on SPARCstation 2, SPARCstation 10 systems and the Multi-Disk Pack. This expansion disk can be installed by the customer. The 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack using 1.05-GB drives, X547A, is being replaced by the 4.2-GB and 8.4-GB Multi-Disk Packs using 2.1-GB drives. Consequently, the X547A, X2024A, and X2025A products are replaced by the X569A, X570A, X2034A and X2035A. AVAILABILITY ------------ All products can be ordered immediately. All products will ship in volume in February 1994. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS --------------------- Q: Is the Multi-Disk Pack available with fewer than four disk drives? A: Yes, the new 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack is a de-populated version with two 2.1-GB drives. Two of the 2.1-GB internal expansion drives can be added to get to 8.4-GB. Q: Is an SBus SCSI card included with the Multi-Disk Pack or the new Database Server Option Packs? A: No, because in some cases customers will not need a new SBus card. However, note that in most situations, customers will need to order a SCSI host adapter card such as the FSBE/S. Q: How many Multi-Disk packs may be configured per SCSI bus? A: Only one fully configured Multi-Disk Pack. The SCSI-2 standard limits the number of devices per bus to eight and the host system always counts as one device, leaving seven addresses available for storage devices. Therefore, only one fully configured Multi-Disk Pack per bus is allowed. Other SCSI devices are allowed on the same SCSI bus as a Multi-Disk Pack. Q: Can customers reset the SCSI target IDs differently from the factory setting? A: Yes. In most Multi-Disk Pack configurations, there will be no need to change the SCSI target ID settings. In cases where the target ID of one or more of the disk drives needs to be changed, easy to access jumper shunts are provided inside the enclosure. Using internal jumper shunts instead of external address switches was a conscious design decision. It significantly lowers internal cable and connector count and therefore significantly improves reliability and MTBF. It also allows significantly lower price to the customer. Since it should rarely be necessary to change the target ID settings, this was the best design trade-off for the customer. Q: Can the Multi-Disk Pack be used in multi-initiator SCSI high availability environments? A: Sun does not currently support multi-initiator, however there are third parties that do offer multi-initiator SCSI software for Sun systems. The Multi-Disk Pack provides two external SCSI connectors so two buses can be connected to Sun's storage enclosures for the purposes of multi-initiator. See the Sun Catalyst catalog for third parties that provide multi-initiator software. Q: When should customers choose the 4mm Auto-Loader Tape drive option instead of the 8mm Tape drive options. A: The 4mm Auto-Loader offers 20-GB of unattended backup. Customers that have large disk storage on the desktop will prefer it over Sun's 8mm tape drive. Q: Why should customers buy these Sun branded mass storage products when they can get the same thing from third parties? A: They cannot get the same thing from third parties. Third party products usually do not carry international safety and compliance agency certification. Sun peripherals, including the Multi-Disk Pack, do. Sun peripherals are capable of withstanding environmental conditions such as heat, humidity, shock, and vibration far beyond what most third party products can withstand. And Sun peripherals are competitively priced as well. U.S. PRICING AND ORDERING INFORMATION ------------------------------------- THE FOLLOWING APPEAR ON THE END USER AND RESELLER PRICE LISTS Order List Disc SunSpectrum Description Number Price Cat Silver Price ================================================================================ 2.1-GB Internal Fast SCSI-2 Expansion Disk X568A $2,150& A N/C 2.1-GB Fast SCSI-2 Desktop Disk Pack X567A $2,450* A N/C 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack X569A $4,900* A N/C 8.4-GB Multi-Disk Pack X570A $9,100* A N/C Database Server Option Packs: 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack, X2034A $7,600# A N/C 5-GB 4mm Tape Desktop Backup Pack Desktop SunCD Plus Pack 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack, X2035A $9,900* A N/C 5-GB 8mm Tape Desktop Backup Pack Desktop SunCD Plus Pack 4.2-GB Multi-Disk Pack, X2036A $14,200@ A N/C 20-GB 4mm Auto-Loader Tape Desktop Storage Module Desktop SunCD Plus Pack Notes: & Requires Solaris 1.1 (SunOS 4.1.3) or later. Supported on SPARCstation 2, SPARCstation 10 and Multi-Disk Pack. * Requires Solaris 1.1 (SunOS 4.1.3) or later. Supported on SPARCstation ELC, SPARCstation IPC, SPARCclassic, SPARCstation LX, SPARCstation IPX, SPARCstation 2, SPARCstation 10, and SPARCstation 1000 systems. # Requires Solaris 2.1 or later. Supported on SPARCstation ELC, SPARCstation IPC, SPARCclassic, SPARCstation LX, SPARCstation IPX, SPARCstation 2, SPARCstation 10 and SPARCstation 1000 systems. @ Requires Solaris 2.3 or later. Supported on SPARCstation ELC, SPARCsystation IPC, SPARCclassic, SPARCstation LX, SPARCstation IPX, SPARCstation 2, SPARCstation 10, and SPARCstation 1000 systems. (c) 1993 Sun Microsystems, Inc., Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, LX, SunCD, and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant Logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. 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