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- ***************************************************************************
- INTRO.TXT
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- This file presents general information about the LSI Logic SDMS software
- product. SDMS is a trademark of LSI Logic Corporation.
-
- This file is divided into the following sections:
-
- General Description
- Overview
- SCSI BIOS
- SCSI Device Drivers
- Before You Begin
- Basic Rules For SCSI Host Adapter and Device Installation
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-
-
- *************************** General Description **************************
-
- The LSI Logic Storage Device Management System (SDMS) is a complete software
- package that solves the increasingly complex problem of managing system
- I/O. It seamlessly addresses hardware and software interfaces by supporting
- LSI Logic's family of SCSI processors and controllers, and a wide range of
- SCSI peripheral devices, while offering interoperability across application
- programs, operating systems, and host platforms. SDMS consists of a resident
- SCSI BIOS that manages all SCSI controller or processor specific functions,
- and a series of SCSI device drivers that provide operating system and
- peripheral specific support.
-
- SDMS provides a standard method to interface SCSI I/O subsystems with
- devices, operating systems, and application software. It also enhances
- system capabilities already provided by SCSI controllers and processors
- by facilitating multi-threaded I/O support, system-wide SCSI device access,
- and creation of new applications.
-
-
- ******************************** Overview ********************************
-
- An LSI Logic SCSI controller or processor can control peripherals such as
- hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives, tape drives, and removable media. SCSI
- peripherals are intelligent devices that do not need the constant attention
- required by non-intelligent devices. Up to 15 SCSI peripheral devices can
- be connected (by using the SCSI bus) to a SCSI host bus adapter card on
- which the SCSI controller or processor resides.
-
- A SCSI host bus adapter can also function as a secondary adapter in a system
- which already has a primary hard drive controller card (IDE, ESDI, ST506).
- Only SCSI host bus adapters will do this, expanding the possibilities for
- system configuration.
-
- * SCSI BIOS *
-
- A SCSI BIOS is the bootable ROM code that manages SCSI hardware resources. It
- is specific to an LSI Logic family of SCSI controllers or processors. An SDMS
- SCSI BIOS integrates with a standard system BIOS, extending the standard disk
- service routine provided through INT13h. It is also responsible for processing
- and executing SCSI requests communicated from a SCSI device driver or
- application.
-
- An important feature of the SCSI BIOS is that it is completely operating
- system independent. All ROM-based SCSI BIOS support booting from a SCSI hard
- disk and can be ported to a variety of hardware platforms. They also support
- 16-bit and 32-bit operating systems running under real or protected addressing
- modes.
-
- The SDMS SCSI BIOS provides a hardware independent interface which isolates the
- operating system drivers and SCSI application programs from the underlying
- hardware. This enables a single driver to work with any host adapter or SCSI
- controller which has an SDMS SCSI BIOS.
-
- During its boot time initialization, the SCSI BIOS determines if another hard
- disk is already installed. If there is, the SCSI BIOS will map any SCSI drives
- it finds behind the drive already installed. Otherwise, the SCSI BIOS will
- install drives starting with the system boot drive. In this case, the system
- will boot from a drive controlled by the SCSI BIOS. For more information on
- SCSI BIOS control of hard disk drives, refer to the PCI Storage Device
- Management System SDMS 4.0 User's Guide.
-
- * SCSI Device Drivers *
-
- The SCSI device drivers translate an operating system I/O request into a data
- structure, and transport the structure to the SCSI BIOS. An LSI Logic SCSI
- device driver is operating system specific, but completely hardware
- independent. The hardware specifics are addressed by the SCSI BIOS.
-
- Although a driverless solution exists for some operating systems, and
- provides adequate support for many applications, loading a driver (or drivers
- in some cases) will provide additional features. Connecting peripherals other
- than hard disk drives, for example, requires loading the appropriate
- driver(s).
-
-
- **************************** Before You Begin ********************************
-
- SDMS 4.0 software requires an IBM PC/AT or compatible computer with an 80386
- or higher microprocessor. An understanding of basic operating system commands
- is assumed. For background information on this subject, refer to the
- SCSI-2 specification or the book SCSI: "Understanding the Small Computer
- System Interface". Sources for these publications are listed in the preface of
- the PCI Storage Device Management System SDMS 4.0 User's Guide.
-
- Before using the SDMS 4.0 software, the LSI Logic SCSI controller should be
- configured into your system, taking into account the configuration of other
- host bus adapters and system resources (see Basic Rules... listed below).
-
- LSI Logic recommends that all data be backed up before making any changes
- or installing any software, including LSI Logic SCSI controllers and software.
- Failure to adhere to this accepted computer practice may lead to loss of data.
-
- * * * Basic Rules For SCSI Host Bus Adapter and Device Installation * * *
-
- Both ends of the SCSI bus must be terminated. Refer to the hardware manuals
- for the devices and the host adapter to determine what the terminators
- are, and where they are located.
-
- Each SCSI device must be configured with a different ID number. Refer to the
- hardware manuals for the devices and the host adapter to locate where the
- jumpers or dip switches are for setting ID numbers. Usually the host
- adapter is ID 7. The devices are then set at IDs 0 through 6 (plus 8 through
- 15 for wide SCSI). The bootable hard drive must have the lowest numerical ID.
-
- The red or blue line on a standard SCSI cable (or the black line on one end
- of a multicolored SCSI cable) designates pin one on the cable connector and
- must connect to pin one on the device or host bus adapter connector. Refer to
- the hardware manuals for the devices and the controller to locate pin one of
- the connector.
-
- If the system already has an internal bootable hard drive (IDE, ESDI, ST506),
- the drivers for the SCSI device(s) must reside on the internal bootable hard
- drive.
-
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-