Back up your system. Make sure you've backed up your system. Also note that only fully qualified names are supported, and there isn't a separate resolver. When booting a cpuserver without an auth server, if you give 0.1.0.0 as the auth server address instead the cpu server's own address, you won't have to wait for it to timeout. If you are having having SCSI problems, check your cables and terminators.
Active terminators are best.
If you run external cables you need to get high quality ones. Also, don't crank of the speed on the card. You will have to find out more about the card so you can configure it. If so, make sure you don't have any encrypted passwords in it, or someone could steal it and use 'crack' to break the passwords. Of course, you could just try connecting to it with 9p.