B50 server

[Stavros Tsirakidis]

Hi,

I bought a used B50 server that has no CDROM drive and no hard disks inside.
Could someone give me some tips:

- first, I know that I can use a null modem cable and a common PC in order
to install the server. Anyway, I would like to ask, if it is possible to use
another PCI graphic adapter (like ATI, Matrox,...) instead of the IBM ones
(like GXT130P) ?

- second, are the cables for the onboard SCSI adapters connectors the same
as the ones used with common SCSI adapters, like the ones from Adaptec ? If
not, I am thinking about using the external SCSI connector. In this case, I
would plug an external SCSI CDROM & hard disk. I hope that the boot from the
AIX CDs will work.

Best regards,
Stavros

[Steve Nottingham]

[email]tsirakidis@gmx.de[/email] (Stavros Tsirakidis) wrote in message news:<d066a766.0309212331.5a0fb4be@posting.google. com>...

> Hi,
>
> I bought a used B50 server that has no CDROM drive and no hard disks inside.
> Could someone give me some tips:
>
> - first, I know that I can use a null modem cable and a common PC in order
> to install the server. Anyway, I would like to ask, if it is possible to use
> another PCI graphic adapter (like ATI, Matrox,...) instead of the IBM ones
> (like GXT130P) ?

It is not possible to use another graphics adapter unless AIX device
drivers are included with it.

>
> - second, are the cables for the onboard SCSI adapters connectors the same
> as the ones used with common SCSI adapters, like the ones from Adaptec ? If
> not, I am thinking about using the external SCSI connector. In this case, I
> would plug an external SCSI CDROM & hard disk. I hope that the boot from the
> AIX CDs will work.

Yes, SCSI is SCSI. You may need an IBM CD ROM drive to install AIX.
You can check on the SMS menus to see if the hardware is recognised by
the system.

Steve

[Filip Westers]

On 22 Sep 2003 06:07:40 -0700, [email]steve@wakefieldrfc.freeserve.co.uk[/email]
(Steve Nottingham) wrote:

>tsirakidis@gmx.de (Stavros Tsirakidis) wrote in message news:<d066a766.0309212331.5a0fb4be@posting.google. com>...

>> Hi,
>>
>> I bought a used B50 server that has no CDROM drive and no hard disks inside.
>> Could someone give me some tips:
>>
>> - first, I know that I can use a null modem cable and a common PC in order
>> to install the server. Anyway, I would like to ask, if it is possible to use
>> another PCI graphic adapter (like ATI, Matrox,...) instead of the IBM ones
>> (like GXT130P) ?

>
>It is not possible to use another graphics adapter unless AIX device
>drivers are included with it.
>

>>
>> - second, are the cables for the onboard SCSI adapters connectors the same
>> as the ones used with common SCSI adapters, like the ones from Adaptec ? If
>> not, I am thinking about using the external SCSI connector. In this case, I
>> would plug an external SCSI CDROM & hard disk. I hope that the boot from the
>> AIX CDs will work.

>
>Yes, SCSI is SCSI. You may need an IBM CD ROM drive to install AIX.
>You can check on the SMS menus to see if the hardware is recognised by
>the system.
>
>Steve

Instead of an IBM CD ROM (way to expensive) you can probably use a
Plextor CD ROM player.
With my 320 and 360 I use a Plextor 412C CD ROM writer for booting
and/or installing.

Cheers

--
Filip Westers
OS/2 Warp 4 Athlon 700MHz, AIX 4.3.3. RS6000/320 & 360
Member HCC OS/2gg (Dutch OS/2 User Group)
--

[Andreas Schulze]

[email]steve@wakefieldrfc.freeserve.co.uk[/email] (Steve Nottingham) wrote in message news:<42862645.0309220507.52d06854@posting.google. com>...

> [email]tsirakidis@gmx.de[/email] (Stavros Tsirakidis) wrote in message news:<d066a766.0309212331.5a0fb4be@posting.google. com>...

> > Hi,
> >
> > I bought a used B50 server that has no CDROM drive and no hard disks inside.
> > Could someone give me some tips:
> >
> > - first, I know that I can use a null modem cable and a common PC in order
> > to install the server. Anyway, I would like to ask, if it is possible to use
> > another PCI graphic adapter (like ATI, Matrox,...) instead of the IBM ones
> > (like GXT130P) ?

>
> It is not possible to use another graphics adapter unless AIX device
> drivers are included with it.
>

> >
> > - second, are the cables for the onboard SCSI adapters connectors the same
> > as the ones used with common SCSI adapters, like the ones from Adaptec ? If
> > not, I am thinking about using the external SCSI connector. In this case, I
> > would plug an external SCSI CDROM & hard disk. I hope that the boot from the
> > AIX CDs will work.

>
> Yes, SCSI is SCSI. You may need an IBM CD ROM drive to install AIX.
> You can check on the SMS menus to see if the hardware is recognised by
> the system.
>
> Steve

Hi folks,

I used a Plextor UltraPlex PX-32TSi SCSI CD-ROM drive with a B50.
Worked fine with 4.3.3 but the necessary device drivers did not come
with 5L. Thus after the upgrade to 5.2 the device is not found any
longer by cfgmgr and so the Plextor is unusable with this combination
of software and hardware. Therefore the answer for the second question
is likely to be "it depends...".

Regards,
Andreas

[Steve Nottingham]

Filip Westers <f.westers@_NO_SPAM_hccnet.nl> wrote in message news:<ks0umv0l3s8n455452r7dg97hnl4tup9d0@4ax.com>. ..

> On 22 Sep 2003 06:07:40 -0700, [email]steve@wakefieldrfc.freeserve.co.uk[/email]
> (Steve Nottingham) wrote:
>

> >tsirakidis@gmx.de (Stavros Tsirakidis) wrote in message news:<d066a766.0309212331.5a0fb4be@posting.google. com>...

> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I bought a used B50 server that has no CDROM drive and no hard disks inside.
> >> Could someone give me some tips:
> >>
> >> - first, I know that I can use a null modem cable and a common PC in order
> >> to install the server. Anyway, I would like to ask, if it is possible to use
> >> another PCI graphic adapter (like ATI, Matrox,...) instead of the IBM ones
> >> (like GXT130P) ?

> >
> >It is not possible to use another graphics adapter unless AIX device
> >drivers are included with it.
> >

> >>
> >> - second, are the cables for the onboard SCSI adapters connectors the same
> >> as the ones used with common SCSI adapters, like the ones from Adaptec ? If
> >> not, I am thinking about using the external SCSI connector. In this case, I
> >> would plug an external SCSI CDROM & hard disk. I hope that the boot from the
> >> AIX CDs will work.

> >
> >Yes, SCSI is SCSI. You may need an IBM CD ROM drive to install AIX.
> >You can check on the SMS menus to see if the hardware is recognised by
> >the system.
> >
> >Steve

>
> Instead of an IBM CD ROM (way to expensive) you can probably use a
> Plextor CD ROM player.
> With my 320 and 360 I use a Plextor 412C CD ROM writer for booting
> and/or installing.
>
> Cheers

I have seen RS/6000 CD drives on eBay for $4

Steve

[Svetoslav Tolev]

[email]tsirakidis@gmx.de[/email] (Stavros Tsirakidis) wrote in message news:<d066a766.0309212331.5a0fb4be@posting.google. com>...

> Hi,
>
> I bought a used B50 server that has no CDROM drive and no hard disks inside.
> Could someone give me some tips:
>
> - first, I know that I can use a null modem cable and a common PC in order
> to install the server. Anyway, I would like to ask, if it is possible to use
> another PCI graphic adapter (like ATI, Matrox,...) instead of the IBM ones
> (like GXT130P) ?
>
> - second, are the cables for the onboard SCSI adapters connectors the same
> as the ones used with common SCSI adapters, like the ones from Adaptec ? If
> not, I am thinking about using the external SCSI connector. In this case, I
> would plug an external SCSI CDROM & hard disk. I hope that the boot from the
> AIX CDs will work.
>
> Best regards,
> Stavros

Hi.
I see that nobody anser to your question about Graphics Adapter.
The facts are that you can user non - IBM adapter. I'm not 100% sure
buthat the adapter that you need is: Matrox G400 PCI version....
I'm sure about it must be MAtrox but not sure about model.


Regards,
Svetoslav Tolev

[Stavros Tsirakidis]

[email]b79xan@gmx.de[/email] (Andreas Schulze) wrote in message news:<5ee46f5c.0309221238.439ed3fa@posting.google. com>...

> [email]steve@wakefieldrfc.freeserve.co.uk[/email] (Steve Nottingham) wrote in message news:<42862645.0309220507.52d06854@posting.google. com>...

> > [email]tsirakidis@gmx.de[/email] (Stavros Tsirakidis) wrote in message news:<d066a766.0309212331.5a0fb4be@posting.google. com>...

> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I bought a used B50 server that has no CDROM drive and no hard disks inside.
> > > Could someone give me some tips:
> > >
> > > - first, I know that I can use a null modem cable and a common PC in order
> > > to install the server. Anyway, I would like to ask, if it is possible to use
> > > another PCI graphic adapter (like ATI, Matrox,...) instead of the IBM ones
> > > (like GXT130P) ?

> >
> > It is not possible to use another graphics adapter unless AIX device
> > drivers are included with it.
> >

> > >
> > > - second, are the cables for the onboard SCSI adapters connectors the same
> > > as the ones used with common SCSI adapters, like the ones from Adaptec ? If
> > > not, I am thinking about using the external SCSI connector. In this case, I
> > > would plug an external SCSI CDROM & hard disk. I hope that the boot from the
> > > AIX CDs will work.

> >
> > Yes, SCSI is SCSI. You may need an IBM CD ROM drive to install AIX.
> > You can check on the SMS menus to see if the hardware is recognised by
> > the system.
> >
> > Steve

>
> Hi folks,
>
> I used a Plextor UltraPlex PX-32TSi SCSI CD-ROM drive with a B50.
> Worked fine with 4.3.3 but the necessary device drivers did not come
> with 5L. Thus after the upgrade to 5.2 the device is not found any
> longer by cfgmgr and so the Plextor is unusable with this combination
> of software and hardware. Therefore the answer for the second question
> is likely to be "it depends...".
>
> Regards,
> Andreas

I still want to ask, if the external SCSI port is a standard one. See ebay
item 2753994332: if I would plug this extrnal hard drive, would it be
possible to install AIX on it ? Or, do I need a special external SCSI cable
from IBM in order to be able to plug such external SCSI devices ?

Stavros