Micro Design International's SCSI Express 3.0 for Windows NT - includes related article on product details

Micro Design International's (MDI) SCSI Express is a familiar name in the Novell NetWare world. This dependable workhorse is now emerging as a significant enhancement to the limited services of Windows NT--both in the 3.51 and 4.0 flavors of the insurgent operating system. And an ever-wider range of hardware support makes SCSI Express a fearsome contender in the enterprise storage market.

One of the key benefits of SCSI Express 3.0 for Windows NT is that it does not require separate licenses to work with different kinds of storage hardware. For example, the same software handles both CD-ROM and other optical devices like MO and WORM drives--something that other networking software vendors require you to purchase separately.

As with the NetWare version, the NT version of SCSI Express performs ably with a surprising range of hardware. The list of supported devices includes MDI's own storage subsystems, which include both jukeboxes and towers. In addition, users will find such familiar names as Hewlett-Packard, NSM, Maxoptix, Pioneer, Panasonic, Cygnet, Pinnacle Micro, and Sony on the growing SCSI Express guest list.

SCSI Express also provides CD-ROM networking with single-drive-letter access to all CD-ROM titles. On the optical disc side, SCSI Express streamlines the access path by creating a single, contiguous NTFS volume of the multiple optical discs. Finally, it also provides a contemporary service by caching CD-ROM data from jukeboxes onto available hard disk space.

GETTING ON TRACK: DOCUMENTATION AND INSTALLATION

The new manual provided with SCSI Express 3.0 for NT improves immensely on earlier versions of MDI literature. For example, MDI has profusely illustrated the text with a screen shot or other graphic on almost every page. The text is also broken out into clearly defined sections and subsections. The material flows from introduction to installation and from getting started to managing different types of media. In the past, MDI's documentation has frequently proven difficult or unclear. But this year's manual beats its predecessors' documentation hands-down.

SCSI Express was tested on a Pentium 166Mhz PC running Windows NT with 32MB RAM and a 4GB hard drive. An HP C2988A SCSI 7-bay CD-ROM tower was used as the subsystem. The most difficult hurdle met in the installation process had nothing to do with SCSI Express itself. As most users of the system are aware, NT can get fairly finicky about hardware support. Efforts to get the server to recognize the Adaptec 1540 SCSI board and attached HP tower don't need to be discussed at length here, but such problems should be taken into account if you are starting from scratch by adding a storage subsystem.

For example, be aware that if you use Microsoft's Adaptec driver (version for AHA-154x/1640) you may have to upgrade your Adaptec SCSI board if you are attaching to a jukebox. The Microsoft driver software does not support the commands needed for juke-boxes on older AHA-154x, AHA-1640, AHA-154xB, and AHA-154xC boards. (Try Adaptec's driver instead.)

SCSI Express 3.0 works effectively with both Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0. If you plan on using it with NT 3.5 1, the manual suggests upgrading to the latest Service Pack prior to installing the SCSI Express software-something that should also be done with NT 4.0. Such a process is critical to success with installing system enhancement products like SCSI Express. Initially, the software will appear to work, but there can be unusual errors later on if the, system runs without the Service Packs installed.

The SCSI Express software itself includes the file system drivers, device drivers, and the management utilities and applications used by administrators and users. In essence, the SCSI Express software takes control of the server-attached devices from NT, a significant improvement over earlier editions and other products. For example, earlier versions of the NT software did not handle CD-ROM minichangers correctly, and would often get into a perpetual re-indexing loop that effectively took the devices offline.

CACHING AND METERING ON THE SCSI EXPRESS

MDI supplies specific instructions for running SCSI Express with cache partitions. Cache partitions are used with CD-ROM jukeboxes in order to accelerate access to CD-ROM data. These partitions must be set up on available hard disk space, and require a minimum of RAM in order to work. If system memory falls short, the dreaded NT blue screen appears and the system crashes. SCSI Express requires a minimum of 32MB for a cache partition of 1GB; larger partitions require 5MB RAM more for each 200MB increment. SCSI Express 3.0 is no different from other NT-based storage management applications in expecting generous amounts of RAM to be available on the server, so this requirement for caching is not unreasonable for a system supporting a jukebox, and a capacity level most active NT environments should already have.

The biggest change implemented in the NT version of SCSI Express is the revamped administrator utility. The product now includes a GUI tool, called Inspector, for media management that enables system administrators to create CD-ROM title groups, control the sharing of titles, lock or restrict access to specific titles or devices, and perform a range of system monitoring functions. Inspector also provides software metering, which sets a maximum number of users who can access a title simultaneously. The number is specified by the type of license purchased.

Metering can prove quite an asset to system administrators, particularly in their efforts to comply with legal requirements. However, it would be nice if future versions of Inspector would also automatically alert users who were prevented from running a title because of a maxed-out license that the title has become available again.

Users do not have to run Inspector. Instead, they will find the standard Windows tools--File Manager and Explorer--handle sharing of SCSI Express-managed devices. This is a simple and straightforward approach that makes the SCSI Express software almost transparent to the user. While testing the software, Inspector made it easy to forget that the HP tower was even there.

Unfortunately, the drawback to this approach is that there's no handy CD-ROM tide management on the level of Ornetix CD Commander or other competing products. For example, there's no way to have an icon delivered to the user's desktop for both installing and running the product. Accessing programs from Explorer or File Manager assumes an installation or other configuration process has already occurred.

This is particularly bothersome, since in testing the NT Server Setup CD-ROM proved unable to run from the attached tower. The reason: the Setup CD-ROM needs to be at the root of the drive letter from which it launches. Since SCSI Express places all CD-ROM titles as subdirectories of the single drive letter, the Setup CD-ROM would not run. It's easy enough to change this in NT's shares process--defining the program as being at the root--but the workaround is annoying. The procedure does show up in the README file, which at least suggests that the programmers are conscious of the need to redefine various titles. MDI needs to include some kind of title management in future versions since more and more CDs require some type of configuration change or setup prior to running them.

FUTURE HARDWARE SUPPORT: ALL ABOARD

At press time, MDI indicated that it would be adding CD-R writer support to the software in first quarter of 1998. For now, SCSI Express supports reading CD-R and CD-ROM in all forms of CD devices, including standalone drives, towers, and jukeboxes. The software also supports DAT and other tape devices, hard drive subsystems, as well as multifunction and rewritable MO and WORM drives.

As a side note, MDI does provide bundled solutions for sites looking for single-vendor sourcing. These bundles include the SCSI Express software along with a writable optical jukebox ranging in size from 41 GB to 197GB of nearline storage.

SCSI Express 3.0 for Windows NT not only demonstrates significant improvements to the software over previous versions, but also represents an essential enhancement to the NT operating system itself. While the product could use better CD-ROM title management, its broad range of hardware support makes it ideal for handling storage subsystems. This is particularly true with enterprise sites demanding a combination of traditional WORM or MO systems along with contemporary CD-ROM devices. It is also recommended for sites where growth paths have yet to be defined for storage. The single licensing of SCSI Express delivers a solid value for sites that could include both CD-ROM and WORM.

RELATED ARTICLE: SCSI Express 3.0 for Windows NT

Synopsis: SCSI Express 3.0 for Windows NT not only demonstrates significant improvements over previous versions of the lading storage management tool, but also represent essential enhancement to the NT operating system itself. While the product could use better CD-ROM title management, its broad range of hardware support makes It ideal for handling storage subsystems. This is particularly true with enterprise sites demanding a combination of traditional WORM or MO systems along with contemporary CD-ROM devices.

Prices: $3,995-$8,995 (based on attached storage)

Minimum system requirements: Windows NT Server 3.51 or 4.0, a 386,486, Pentium, or Pentium Pro CPU, 16MB RAM, 4MB free hard disk space on the drive where Windows is installed, 2MB free disk space on the drive where SCSI Express will be installed.

For more information, contact: Micro Design International 6985 University Boulevard, Winter Park, FL 32792; 800/228-0891, 407/677-8333; Fax 407/677-8365; http.//www.mdi.com; INFOLINK #426

David Doering (dave@techvoice.com), a contributing editor for EMedia Professional, is also senior analyst with Tech Voice Inc., an Orem, Utah-based consultancy.

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