The Disk Manufacturing Module
Introduction
SCSI Toolbox LLC is proud to announce the Disk Manufacturing Module,
joining a decade of real-world drive testing experience with input
from hundreds of customers to bring the best new testing tool to the
disk manufacturing and integration marketplace.
The Disk Manufacturing Module is
the easiest to use, most versatile, and fastest disk testing product
on the market. A true multi-threaded, multiple host bus adapter,
multi-drive screening and testing tool, the Disk Manufacturing
Module allows you to:
- Confirm that the proper drives
are in the subsystem
- Download new drive firmware if
needed
- Set all mode pages to your
standard
- Set block size and capacity
- Format
- Log and track all error
information
- Run any type of test, or
sequence of tests at full bus and device speeds
- Log all process activities,
drive information, and any errors to an Access database
All processes and test sequences
are created from a graphical user interface – no programming or
scripting is required! Time from installation to a complete test
process can be as little as 5 minutes!
Defining the Test Process
Test processes are divided into
three sections, Pre-test, Test,
and Post-Test.
Pre-Test
The pre-test process allows your test to screen the attached drives
by the following qualifiers:
Drive Vendor – you can specify that a drive must match a certain
vendor code, or the drive will be rejected from the test. Example =
“SEAGATE”
- Drive Product
– you can specify that a drive must match a certain product code,
or the drive will be rejected from the test. Example = “ST32123FC”
- Drive Firmware
Version – you can specify that
the firmware version of each drive must match a specified version.
If the version does not match the drive under test the drive can
either be rejected, or the proper firmware file can be downloaded
into the drive.
- Number of
Primary Defects – a drive can
be rejected if it has too many primary (factory) defects.
- Number of
Grown Defects – a drive can be
rejected if it has too many grown defects, or alternatively a
low-level format can be issued to try to clear the grown defects.
- Drive Mode
Pages – all mode page values
can be set to conform to a “golden” drive setting.
- Drive Block
Size – the current blocksize
of the drive can be checked, and the drive can either be rejected
if the blocksize is not correct, or the blocksize of the drive can
be changed. Perfect for production runs of RAID systems.
- Drive Capacity
– the number of blocks of the drive under test can be set to match
a specified number, or the drive can be rejected if the capacity
does not match a specified value.
- Clear Log
Pages – all Log Page (error
and performance) data can be cleared at the beginning of the test
process.
- Record Mode or
Log Page data – all Mode
and/or Log page data can be logged at the beginning of the test
process.
During the test process, each drive
will be individually checked against any or all of the above
parameters.
The entire pre-test process
definition is accomplished by using the simple GUI choices as show
below:
Test Configuration
The test process will be made up of
one or more test sequences. Each test sequence is defined by
selecting test definition parameters from the Test Configuration
Menu. Once a test is defined the test is added to the test sequence
list.
The following test parameters can
be chosen for each test:
- Random
or Sequential test type - choose whether
each drive access is done to a random block number, or sequential
through a block range.
- Run test by Number
of Blocks or by Time - the
test can be defined to run for a time duration, such as 30
minutes, or by a number of blocks. If specifying a number of
blocks, the entire drive may be specified by entering '-1' for the
number of blocks to test.
- Data Pattern
- a pull-down list of data patterns is available to choose from.
- Block Overlay
on data pattern - the block number can be overlaid on top of any
data pattern.
- Data Compare
on Read - this option can be chosen to confirm that the proper
data was written to the disk.
In the same manner as the pre-test
conditions, tests are easily and quickly defined with the GUI as
shown below - no editing, no syntax or language to learn, no
way to make a mistake!
Device Selection
The test process will be made up of
one or more test sequences. Each test sequence is defined by
selecting test definition parameters from the Test Configuration
Menu. Once a test is defined the test is added to the test sequence
list.
Drives to be tested are selected
from a simple tree control. Any drive on any Host Bus Adapter (SCSI,
Fibre Channel, ATAPI) can be selected for test.
Once drives are selected and the
test process has begun, color-coded indicators show each drives
status, and each drive may individually be:
- Paused - pause the current test
- Resume - resume the current test
from where it was paused
- Stop Current Test - stop the
current test and proceed to the next test in the test sequence, if
any
- Stop All Tests - stop any
further testing on the drive
- Show Status - display the
current test being run, the status of the test, performance and
error statistics
Again, each drive can
be individually controlled and monitored during the test process!
Here is an example of the current
status of a drive under test:
The Fastest disk
test/screening system available!
The Disk Manufacturing Module tests
and configures each drive as if it were the only drive being tested.
This means that as fast as a given drive/HBA combination will run,
that is how quickly your test process will finish.
For instance, if you have two Ultra
320 HBA's in your system, and one Ultra 160 HBA, the drives
connected to the faster subsystem will not have to wait for
the slower drives!
If you have a 5 step test sequence,
the faster drives will finish each step and move on to the next as
fast as they can, without waiting for the slower drives to finish!
If your business relies on
processing as many drives as possible (as thoroughly as possible of
course!) - the Disk Screening Tool will maximize your test process
and your profits!
The Ultimate in reporting /
data collecting
The Disk Manufacturing Module
records every event that happens during the test process to an
Access database. If you need to look at any part of your test
process later down the road, the Disk Manufacturing Module has
already collected all data for you. Detailed information on each
drive tested (vendor, product, firmware version, blocksize,
capacity, mode page settings, what tests were run, test results,
performance numbers, detailed error information) is all logged to a
database that can be accessed any way you would like.
The most economical
software or hardware test solution for screening drives
The Disk Screening test will be
included with the SCSItoolbox as of March 2003 (STB version 3.10)
That equals a cost of zero!
No extra charge at all when you buy the industry standard
interactive test system, the
SCSItoolbox.
If your production needs dictate a
number of "batch oriented" Disk Manufacturing Module's, then the
Stand Alone Disk Manufacturing Module is perfect for your needs.
Priced at $1995 (single license) the Stand Alone Disk Manufacturing
Module is best value in high speed / high volume disk testing and
screening - bar none!
The Drive Screening Toolbox
Being the industry leaders in SCSI
and Fibre testing for the past decade, we are proud to bring our
years of experience to a new focal point with the Disk Manufacturing
Module.
We are familiar with the other
products and solutions in the market, and we are confident that the
Disk Screening Tool is by far the most superior product.
We guarantee that the Disk
Manufacturing Module solution is the most
- Versatile
- Easiest to use,
- Fastest, and
- the best value
System Requirements
The SCSItoolbox requires an ASPI-compliant SCSI host adapter. It is
available for the following platforms:
Windows NT
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows Server 2000, 2003
What is included with your purchase:
Disk Manufacturing Module
HWK (Hardware Key)
One year of support, upgrades, access to technical support |
