I guess it's all about where you're getting the parts from.  My
statement was more along the lines of it being cheaper to get a contract
from NetApp than to get parts from NetApp without a contract.
I can't speak to anything that's 3rd party.
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Fischmann [mailto:scottuce@aol.com] 
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 6:19 PM
To: Glenn Walker
Cc: Tim Longo; toasters@mathworks.com
Subject: RE: filer disk replacement
I beg to differ with Glenn -- considering the ready availability of 
cheap/used/3rd party/high quality/tested parts or complete heads for 
F7xx and F8xx generation systems, it is MUCH, MUCH cheaper to swap 
parts/purchase spares/procure 3rd party parts coverage as opposed to 
continuing with NetApp hardware support.
;-)
-- 
Scott Fischmann
Union Computer Exchange, Inc.
6233 Idylwood Lane
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55436
phone: (952) 935-7282 | fax: (952) 935-5056
email: scott@unioncomputer.com
"Helping our customers make each dollar go further - since 1991!"
Glenn Walker wrote on 3/16/2006, 1:24 PM:
 > NetApp disks are formatted in a special way.  I _believe_ they are
 > also labeled in a special way (ie, like HPaq does) so that the disks
 > appear in a specific way when you perform normal SCSI Inquiries into
 > the device type... that pretty much will prevent you from using
common
 > off-the-shelf components.  I know of no way around this...
 >
 > FWIW - the support agreement you get from NetApp for a year is
 > typically MUCH cheaper than having to swap out parts if they break by
 > paying NetApp the one-time support agreement and paying for the
 > components themselves.  It doesn't take many component swaps to
 > overcome the cost of paying for the yearly support agreement...
 >
 > Glenn
 >
 > ________________________________
 >
 > From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com on behalf of Tim Longo
 > Sent: Thu 3/16/2006 1:28 PM
 > To: toasters@mathworks.com
 > Subject: filer disk replacement
 >
 >
 >
 > I have an old filer that will be off support soon. Support through
 > Netapp is way too much $$, but the system still works great... so I'd
 > like to explore alternative options for replacing disks when they
fail.
 > Can I simply buy a fiber channel disk that matches the type in the
filer
 > on ebay or something to replace? Anyone else find a good(cheap) way
to
 > support older, but still useful machines?
 >
 > thanks
 >
 >
 >
-- 
Scott Fischmann
Union Computer Exchange, Inc.
6233 Idylwood Lane
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55436
phone: (952) 935-7282 | fax: (952) 935-5056
email: scott@unioncomputer.com
"Helping our customers make each dollar go further - since 1991!"