Sun Microsystems Fire 880, Owner'S Manual

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Chapter 4 Mass Storage Subsystem Configuration 97
About Internal Disk Drives
The Sun Fire 880 mass storage subsystem accommodates up to 12 low-profile
(1.0-inch) FC-AL disk drives. Disks are available in storage capacities of 18.2, 36.4, or
72.8 Gbytes. The maximum internal storage capacity is 873 Gbytes (using twelve
72.8-Gbyte disks), with larger amounts possible as disk storage capacities continue
to grow.
All Sun Fire 880 disk drives are dual-ported for multipath access. When used in a
dual-loop configuration, each drive can be accessed through two separate and
distinct data paths. Dual data paths provide the following benefits:
■
Increased bandwidth – Allowing data transfer rates up to 200 Mbytes per second
versus 100 Mbytes per second for single-loop configurations
■
Hardware redundancy – Providing the ability to sustain component failures in one
path by switching all data transfers to an alternate path
For more information on the RAS and performance capabilities of the mass storage
subsystem, see “About Sun Fire 880 Mass Storage Features” on page 92.
Sun Fire 880 disk drives are hot-pluggable. You can add, remove, or replace disks
while the system continues to operate. This capability significantly reduces system
down-time associated with disk drive replacement. Disk drive hot-plug procedures
involve software commands for preparing the system prior to removing a disk drive
and for reconfiguring the operating environment after installing a drive. For
additional details, see:
■
“About Hot-Pluggable and Hot-Swappable Components” on page 144
■
“How to Install a Disk Drive” on page 33
■
“How to Remove a Disk Drive” on page 36