SPARCserver 3rd party integration (trying to save $$$)

[Farooq Butt]

A while ago when I was a neophyte, I asked some folks on the net on how
how I could save myself some money by not buying things like disks/disk
controllers, tape controllers or memory from Sun for a 3/280.  I was
treated to delightful barrage of information about the hundreds o' third
party (Mostly) VME boards/disks/tapes one may buy from the likes of, say,
Arrow Electronics or R-Squared to save money.  The time has finally come
to purchase a SPARCserver or two or three and I am wondering whether any
of you would/could share info. about the same stuff for SPARCservers. I am
totally ignorant of the SPARC architecture so please feel free to
spoon-feed info :-) 

Questions: 

+ Will any controller that fits into a 3/280 (VME/Multibus) work in a
  SPARCserver ?

+ Should I use SMD or IPI disks ? (seems IPI is vaporware right now)

+ Will a, say, Xylogics 472 tape controller work in a SPARCserver ?  If so
  will it require the same kludgy VME<->Multibus adapter?

+ Is there 3rd party memory available ? 

+ Should I be think about superduper disks or are 1.2Gbyte Sabers "good
  'nuff" ?

fmbutt at lectroid.sw.stratus.com