Does expensive SCSI/SAS adapters have firmware?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Man-wai Chang
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Man-wai Chang

Just curious...

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All SCSI/SAS adapter have firmware. It is not
possible to build them purely in hardware.

Arno
 
All SCSI/SAS adapter have firmware. It is not
possible to build them purely in hardware.

Arno
Click to expand...

I think he means replaceable firmware, like with SSD's.

Yousuf Khan
 
I think he means replaceable firmware, like with SSD's.
Click to expand...

All firmware is replaceable. It's implied in the definition of firmware.
Whether you need a soldering iron to replace the firmware is a question
of implementation.

You'll find that the more expensive the controller, the easier it will
be to update the controller BIOS/firmware.
 
All firmware is replaceable. It's implied in the definition of firmware.
Whether you need a soldering iron to replace the firmware is a question
of implementation.

You'll find that the more expensive the controller, the easier it will
be to update the controller BIOS/firmware.
Click to expand...

Well, obviously he's referring to stuff that's replaceable by software
rather than by soldering iron.

Yousuf Khan
 
Just curious...
Click to expand...

As I recall, going back to my Sun Microsystems days, there were
firmware upgrades available for enterprise SCSI disks. It wasn't
something that a system administrator could apply themselves, they
needed to send Sun technicians in to do it.

Yousuf Khan
 
Well, obviously he's referring to stuff that's replaceable by software
rather than by soldering iron.
Click to expand...
Yousuf Khan
Click to expand...

Basically all modern firmware is replaceable by software. It does
not make sense to add an extra interface. Sometimes you find
unpopulated JTAG headers, but they are for debugging.

Whether the manufacturer actually provides updates and a tool
to replace the firmware is a different question, as is the
quality of the updates. I have made bad experience with an
Adaptec SATA controller update, where they removed a feature that
was critical for me (SMART queries). Support just brushed me off.
Essentially the controller was an expensive paperweight afterwards as
flashing it back was not possible. This was not a cheap controller.

Arno
 
As I recall, going back to my Sun Microsystems days, there were
firmware upgrades available for enterprise SCSI disks. It wasn't
something that a system administrator could apply themselves, they
needed to send Sun technicians in to do it.
Click to expand...
Yousuf Khan
Click to expand...

Sounds more like "they needed to charge SUN rates" to me.

Arno
 
Whether the manufacturer actually provides updates and a tool
to replace the firmware is a different question, as is the
quality of the updates. I have made bad experience with an
Adaptec SATA controller update, where they removed a feature that
was critical for me (SMART queries). Support just brushed me off.
Essentially the controller was an expensive paperweight afterwards as
flashing it back was not possible. This was not a cheap controller.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've gone through that sort of thing before too. I won't upgrade
unless there's a good reason.

Yousuf Khan
 
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