[Info-vax] SmartArray 5300A question

[Rich Jordan]

We've got a site looking to add some hardware backup to an existing
Alpha setup due to some recent downtime when their 10 year old system
disk failed with no warning; they're not willing to go to Itanium or
get cluster/shadow licenses, just hardware to backstop their aging
system until a probable eventual transition to 'something newer' (I
know...).

DS10 600MHz, internal storage, VMS V7.3-2, somewhat down-rev on ECOs;
we can get them up to current ECOs, but not upgrade to V8.3 or newer
at this point.

What they want is to replace internal with external storage (except
maybe the tape drive), and purchase a second DS10 with identical
hardware specs to sit 'on the shelf'.  If storage fails, its replaced
(with spare disks).  If a DS10 or internal component failure occurs,
they shut down, pull the second DS10 from storage, plug it up and go.

We'd prefer to get storage redundancy with that external storage,
which with the unavailability of shadowing means a hardware RAID
controller like the Smartarray series.  I've used one before but it
has been many years and I'm just starting to regather the docs.  I've
already been told 'no' to considering fiberchannel and an MSA setup.

If we get two Alphas with Smartarray controllers and a Compaq
universal shelf, and set up the drive config we want (which will be
two spindles presented to VMS, at the very least two 2-drive
mirrorsets, at most that plus a couple of hot spare disks) on one
alpha, can that shelf be plugged into the second alpha (first alpha
down/disconnected) and just 'boot and go'?  Is the configuration
information all stored on the attached disks?  Or does the controller
itself retain information?

Note that this is not concurrent access; only one alpha would be
connected to the shelf at a time.

The fun part in testing will be the lack of 'identical' test systems;
we'll have the backup DS10 and a DS10L  (joy).  But I suppose if it
works with them, it will work with the real DS10s.

I'm not a fan of ACU-XE and the associated software; it caused us tons
of grief in 2006 when we last used it, but the conditions here are
unique and kind of tight.

Thanks