IBM Partner Pavilion DS4100 - Manual (Page 35)

v The DS4100 single-controller storage server does not support automatic firmware
updates. All firmware upgrades and downgrades for the DS4100 single-controller
storage server must be performed manually, as described in “Manually upgrading
the firmware for the DS4100 single-controller storage server” on page 103.
v All DS4100 single-controller storage server controller firmware updates must be
performed off-line.
v You cannot upgrade from the DS4100 single-controller storage server to the
DS4100 base storage server. Please contact your IBM reseller or representative
for the possible availability of such support in the future.
Fibre channel defined
Fibre channel technology is outlined in the SCSI-3 Fibre Channel Protocol
(SCSI-FCP) standard. Fibre channel is a high-speed data transport technology that
is used for mass storage and networking.
Using a fibre-channel arbitrated loop (FC-AL), more than 100 fibre-channel devices 1
can be supported, compared to 15 small computer system interface (SCSI) devices.
The connection from the DS4100 base storage server to the DS4000 EXP100 drive
expansion enclosure ports or fibre channel host bus adapter ports is a 2 Gb
fibre-channel device that supports data transfer rates up to 200 MBps half-duplex
and 400 MBps full-duplex on optical interfaces.
SATA defined
The Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface offers increased data
rate performance over Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA), while
maintaining the benefits of ATA. SATA is designed to overcome the performance
barriers that have been forecasted for current parallel technologies while
maintaining the cost-efficiency of Parallel ATA. SATA specifications allow for thinner,
more flexible cables, and lower pin counts. It also enables easier, more flexible
cable routing management and the use of smaller connectors than is possible with
the existing Parallel ATA technology.
The Serial ATA Working Group introduced the first SATA specification, Serial ATA
1.0, in 2001 (http://www.serialata.org).
Product updates
You should download the latest version of the DS4000 Storage Manager host
software and the DS4000 storage server controller firmware and drive firmware
(and, if you are connecting DS4000 EXP100 expansion units to the DS4100 base
storage server storage server, the DS4000 EXP100 ESM firmware, and the DS4000
EXP100 disk drive firmware) at the time of the initial installation and when product
updates become available.
To be notified of important product updates, you must first register at the IBM
Support and Download Web site:
www-1.ibm.com/servers/storage/disk/
1. For the DS4100, each drive is considered to be a device in a fibre-channel loop, even though the DS4100 drive interface is SATA
(not fibre channel). The DS4000 EXP100 ESM and the DS4100 controller and SATA hard drive interposer convert SATA interface
protocol to fibre channel protocol.
Chapter 1. Introduction 3