2 MDR User Guide
• MDR Server (can only be run on an MDR board)
• MDR Shell (MDR Client) Standalone module
Using the MDR software and firmware, the MDR system may be operated in either of
four modes depending upon system requirements:
1. MDR Standalone - MDR-2x0 runs both MDR Server and Shell. No Host
workstation required. Monitor with VT100 terminal.
2. Host Network-based - MDR Shell on Host workstation and MDR Server
on MDR-2x0 board.
Using MDR-250 with Ethernet PMC
Using MDR-220 with Shared-Memory Network (SMN) to SBC
3. Host Direct-Connection - MDR software on Host workstation
communicates via FC HBA to disk array. No MDR-2x0 board required.
4. Host Network and Direct Connection - combination of modes 2 and 3.
Except in Host Direct Connection, all the MDR data transfer occurs through the MDR
Server application resident in the MDR-2x0 board. The MDR Server is necessary for
data recording capability. In Direct Connection, the MDR Server is bypassed and no
recording may take place, although files may be transferred between the workstation
and the disk array. When both Network and Direct connections are present, the setting
of the UseHostFcAdapter parameter in the Host mdr.ini file determines which path is
used to access the disk array and which functions are active.
The MDR shell (MDR client) is run on the Host in the host-based mode and is run on
the MDR-2x0 in the standalone mode. The MDR Server, running on the MDR board,
normally performs the disk array management, although in Direct Connection, the disk
array is accessed and can be managed directly using a Fiber Channel adapter in the host
workstation.
Typically, in the system development phase, the MDR is controlled from a host
computer using the C/C++ API or a text-based user interface (MDR Shell). The host
may communicate with the MDR using standard TCP/IP over Ethernet or with a high-
speed TCP/IP protocol (SMN) over VMEbus. The host can be one of four possible
computer systems as detailed in Section 1.5: Host System Requirements.
In Standalone operation, a VT100 terminal or terminal emulator is attached to the MDR
RS232 port. In this case both the MDR Server and the Client (MDR Shell) programs
run in the MDR board. This configuration is often used for host-independent operation
of the MDR, suitable for in-the-field recording missions.
In Direct Connection operation, a dedicated Fibre Channel link is established between
the host computer and the disk array. This is done to speed up read back of recorded data
by the host or to preload data for playback into a system. In this configuration, none of
the MDR Server calls are used, with all data manipulation performed directly by the host
computer. Full Disk Group functionality is only available in Direct Connection.
The MDR is available with standard commercial environmental specifications, with an
operating temperature range of 0-50°C for the MDR board and 0-25°C for the disk stor-
age system. A ruggedized version designed to withstand specified amounts of shock, vi-
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