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Conference 7.286::fddi

Title:FDDI - The Next Generation
Moderator:NETCAD::STEFANI
Created:Thu Apr 27 1989
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2259
Total number of notes:8590

52.0. "WHEN? FDDI/XMI ADAPTER?" by HOTAIR::BOYLES (Albuquerque Onsite Presales Support) Thu Apr 12 1990 13:30

    

	Can anyone help me with this one...

	I am trying to respond to an RFQ for a file storage system
	for a CRAY Y-MP.  This storage system must have a high speed
	link to the CRAY with throughput speeds in excess of 50 megabits.
	(i.e. throughput = actual data rate discounting protocol
	overhead).

	It looks like the only possible way for us to do this is
	via FDDI, but the catch is that a benchmark has to be
	completed, and submitted with the RFQ response by 6/29/90.

	Can anyone give me a pointer on who to contact for the
	VAX/XMI-FDDI adapter?

	This RFQ is initially worth about 5 million, with follow-on
	business worth 15 million.

	I don't really want to walk away from this one if I don't
	have to.

	Regards,

	Gary Boyles, Albuquerque, NM		554-7221


	This note has been posted in the following notesfiles:

		FDDI
		CLUSTER
		VMS_PARTNERS
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
52.1Probably not soon enoughMAMTS3::PDORNANPatrick Dornan, NWSS 8-339-7169Thu Apr 12 1990 14:008
    Info provided at NETU indicated that the product should be announced at
    DECworld in July.  Info also provided indicated that product would be
    made available for customers willing to provided testimonial at
    DECworld as to how good our FDDI products are.  James Marsh, Wndy
    Michael, Karen Leonard, Paul Calahan and Alan Raderman are the best
    people to talk to.  Paul specifically handles adpaters.
    
    Patrick
52.2F104::HERNANPeter Hernan NCGD-DNCThu Apr 12 1990 19:060
52.3Announced but not availableAKO569::JOYGet a life!Fri Apr 13 1990 14:398
    The XMI adapter will be announced in July but not available until the
    Oct-Nov timeframe. The Q4 ship program is only for the backbone
    products (bridge and concentrator). I doubt you will be able to find an
    adapter to use in a benchmark by the end of June, but Paul Callahan is
    the person to talk to about it. 
    
    Debbie
    
52.4ask the supercomputer groupAKOV12::PERLMUTTERTue Apr 17 1990 11:0812
    don't forget about our drb-11 based cray interconnect solution. i
    attended the networked supercomputer session at net u. they gave this
    as an example. there is also the emerging HPPI standard to consider in
    this environment. We apparently do very well in this networked super
    computer environment. some people to contact are:
    
    Harold  DUGGAN::HAGER   (interconnects)
    
    Bob  DUGGAN::STETSON    (storage)
    
    Tom DUGGAN::RARICH (Networks and storage)
    
52.5Questions/input on all aboveARCHON::BLASINGAMECraig @EKO, GSG/DCC, DTN-339-7245Thu May 17 1990 14:0224
    
    
    Possible option here would be to provide the demo under non-diclosure
    on the DS5000.  That's assuming that your data-management software can
    run under Risc Ultrix.
    
    re: .4
    
    I is my understanding from Tom Rarich that the current Cray Gateway
    will be retired soon.  You might want to check with him before you
    propose to a customer.
    
    re: .3
    
    It is my understanding that when the XMI Adapter is available in
    Oct-Nov that it will not be supported by VMS.  There will be Ultrix
    only support.  Can someone in Prod Marketing confirm this?
    
    re: .0
    
    I'm VERY interested as to what Cray Product will be used for the
    Cray side of the FDDI link.  The only candidate that I have found for a
    similar need, so far, is NSC/DX and NSC is running a very old version
    of SMT (4.7) that is not compatable with our proposed release version.
52.6But don't take this as authority...BAGELS::WILLIAMSBryan WilliamsThu May 17 1990 17:0318
    
    RE: .5
    
>    re: .3
>    
>    It is my understanding that when the XMI Adapter is available in
>    Oct-Nov that it will not be supported by VMS.  There will be Ultrix
>    only support.  Can someone in Prod Marketing confirm this?
    
    Dave Gagne from VMS stated in another notes conference (don't remember
    which one) that if Phase V was available when the hardware is ready,
    the driver will be Phase V. If Phase V is not ready, they are
    supposedly committed to providing a Phase IV driver. If could be that
    the confusion over when DECnet-VAX/Phase V will be ready is making the
    issue less clear.
    
    Bryan
    
52.7VMS is commited; but dates are not firmSTAR::GAGNEDavid Gagne - VMS/DECnet-VAX Dev.Fri May 18 1990 11:2917
    Bryan (.6) is correct.  VMS will have support for the DEMFA at about
    the time the DEMFA ships.  It should be obvious that VMS (just like
    ULTRIX) cannot adjust its schedules around the DEMFA.  There is just
    too much support in any one release to tie it to one item (unless that
    item is a VAX 9000).
    
    In reality, the VMS driver for the DEMFA will be a Phase V driver.
    If DECnet-VAX Phase V is available at the same time, then you get to
    see all the Phase V stuff in the driver.  If DECnet-VAX Phase V is not
    available at the same time, then you get a driver that kind-of sort-of
    looks like a Phase IV Ethernet driver; and DECnet-VAX Phase IV will
    use that driver.
    
    With my limited knowledge of the DEMFA and VMS schedules, I expect that
    the VMS schedule is not very far from the needs of the DEMFA.  Of
    course, the schedules will change many times between now and ship
    time.
52.8fddi/xmi performance AIMHI::JJONESJohn C. JonesWed May 19 1993 08:446
Does anyone have the performance spec on the demfa
yet? Are we saying expect XMI bus speed?

Thanks for the help,

John
52.9DEMFA PerformanceZUR01::HOTZGregor; MCS, NaC Support, SchweizFri May 21 1993 03:309
In the Digital technical Journal Summer 1991 Volume 3 Number 3 was an article
called �Peformance Analysis of a High-speed FDDI Adapter� (the DEMFA).
p/n EY-H890E-DP

There's also the article �Peformance of FDDI-Based VAXcluster Systems� in the
VAXcluster Systems Quorum February 1992.
p/n EA-P1673-32

greg
52.10Lab versus Real LifeFLUKES::SUTTONHe roams the seas in freedom...Fri May 21 1993 08:106
    Understand, though, that the figures in that Technical Journal article
    were derived in a laboratory environment. Real-life performance will
    probably be significantly less than quoted in that article, and will
    vary depending on your configuration and network load.
    
    	/Harry