Storage devices. PC98 System Design Guide and Hardware Design Guide guidelines for storage devices cover Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), rewriteable CD-ROMs, and high-capacity hard disks. The guidelines call for non-ISA, low-latency (i.e., with low seek and access times) high-speed devices (capable of 20MBps to 40MBps data transfer rates) with full SCSI-3 support. A system that meets the basic server requirements must also have SCSI embedded on the motherboard.
The NT Server 5.0 specifications require servers to support a variety of storage devices. They specify that servers' SCSI devices must be PnP adapters that clearly identify the connectors to prevent incorrect attachment. SCSI devices must offer differential SCSI support, automatic and built-in termination, an external SCSI-2 connector, and start/stop support to decrease power consumption. The Hardware Design Guide calls for enterprise servers to have 40MBps to 80MBps SCSI disks (100MBps with fibre channel).
The Hardware Design Guide specifies that servers must not have ISA-based IDE. The guide recommends that servers not use IDE but provides specifications for servers that do use IDE. The specifications state these servers must comply with ATA-2, have dual PCI IDE adapters, offer logical block addressing to support drives larger than 528MB, provide support for bus mastering, and comply with the Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) standard.
The NT 5.0 server specifications recommend fibre channel technology. Fibre channel allows for 1 gigabit (Gb) per second data transfer rates for SCSI and IP. (For more information about fibre channel, see Dean Porter, "Fibre Channel, SCSI, and You," September 1997.)
The CD-ROM specifications for NT 5.0 are similar to those for NT 4.0, but they recommend a minimum speed of 8X, erasable media, and bootable CD-ROM capability. DVD drives must support bus-mastering direct memory access (DMA) transfers, Universal Disk Format (UDF), and push-to-close design; include a high-speed bus that supports multiple data types and sustained rates of 12Mbps; and support video playback standards, such as MPEG-2 and AC-3.
The Hardware Design Guide recommends that every system include a tape drive and requires systems that include tape drives to use SCSI-based tapes that hold at least 4GB and reach speeds of 20MB per minute. The guidelines require enterprise servers to include 8GB tape drives.
Physical design. Server components need to be easy to access, so the Hardware Design Guide lays out requirements for server cases' physical attributes. These requirements include keyed, shrouded, and snap-on connectors; easily distinguishable, visible icons on the outside of the case; easy-to-access expansion slots; covered switches; a locking case; and snap-on connectors.
Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria, which the US Department of Defense's National Computer Security Center publishes, defines requirements for C2-compatible hardware. External drives must lock. The case and switches must lock. The system must support remote software management of physical components. The computer must include software controls for monitoring system status and remote alerts that notify administrators when an intruder opens the chassis, and it must provide smart card readers.
Reliability and manageability. The Hardware Design Guide requires servers to have an integrated backup device. The specification recommends hot-swappable N+1 power supplies and companion UPSs, and requires enterprise servers to have hot-swappable power supplies.
For fault tolerance, the Hardware Design Guide requires multiple hot-swappable hard disks and an intelligent RAID controller with support for RAID 1, 5, or 1/0. The RAID controller must provide notification of disk failures and automatically reconfigure a RAID volume for a replacement or available hot-spare disk. Enterprise servers must have an intelligent RAID controller (level 1, 5, or 1/0).
Systems must provide alert indicators for notification about failures or imminent failure of major system components. Enterprise servers must also include hot-swappable fans.
The Hardware Design Guide requires servers to supply Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) and Common Interface Model (CIM) schemas for management browsers, support Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)-enabled mini-drivers, and offer remote device management. (For more information about WBEM and CIM, see Greg Todd, "What Is WBEM?" July 1998). To avoid Year 2000 (Y2K) problems, the Hardware Design Guide calls for servers to have BIOS, realtime clocks, and CMOS that will function correctly into the new millennium.
Buying the Hardware
Some systems manufacturers already offer servers that meet the Hardware Design Guide and PC98 System Design Guide specifications, and many more will produce compatible servers before NT 5.0's release. You're better off buying a complete system from a vendor that offers comprehensive support (including services, software, and drivers) and guarantees its products than trying to build a system to support NT 5.0. You'll pay more for a complete system than for a system your IS staff builds, but buying a system you can rely on to support NT 5.0's new features makes sense. Use the sidebar "Buying Your Box" to determine exactly what type of system you'll need to provide the performance you want, and make sure your systems meet the Hardware Design Guide and PC98 System Design Guide specifications.
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