IDE vs SCSI drives - and a RAID adapter question

[foodog@uswest.net]

Kevin Buettner wrote:
> 
.. skipping stuff 
> 
> > do you have anything else on the scsi chain?
> 
> I have a scanner on the SCSI chain too.
> 
> > The slowest device will (I understand) drag all the other ones down
> > with it.  SO if you (like me) have an old scsi1 cdrom drive that
> > only talks the slowest protocol you'll get stuck down at what,
> > 10MB/sec?  Those who know for sure feel free to correct me if I'm
> > 'worng' (sic)
> 
> Interesting.  I would hope that's not the case, but I'm not a SCSI
> expert.  Perhaps someone else could address this?

With the older Adaptec controllers I know that was the case
- in fact, if one used the "external connector" sticking out
of the back it limited the internal chain to 10mbps as
well.  That was with (I believe) the original 2940.  The
10mbps connector was a big "centronics-lookin'" plug, SCSI-1
technology.  I don't recall seeing warnings like that with
the newer 2940UW-Pro but it makes sense that a given chain
shouldn't talk faster than it's slowest device.  Er, you've
got your SCSI termination setup correctly too, ja?

BTW has anyone got an Adaptec AAA-131U2 to do
controller-based RAID under Linux?  RH 6.2 specifically? 
The card comes with a DOS-based setup program that lets you
define the array and initialize it.  DOS, Netware, prob'ly
NT see it as one SCSI device, but Linux sees the array as
individual disks...  TIA,
Steve

-- 
Carpe cerevisiae