| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 1021.1 | SOC Misleading DEMFA Feature | DELNI::G_NIELSEN | | Fri Jul 30 1993 10:53 | 14 |
| Please be advised: The Systems and Options Catalog states under
Features:
OpenVMS load balancing/auto-failover to second FDDI adapter
or Ethernet -- assures network availability to systems and servers
using adapter.
OpenVMS does NOT provide any form of load balancing or auto-failover!
Load Balancing and/or Auto-Failover is strictly a function of the
protocols which use the adapter, i.e., DECnet and Clusters for example.
DECnet will fail-over based on path cost factors. LAVC load balances
by alternating which similar device it uses to make virtual connections.
|
| 1021.2 | Are VMSclusters no longer built into OpenVMS? | MUDDY::WATERS | | Fri Jul 30 1993 15:19 | 7 |
| > OpenVMS does NOT provide any form of load balancing or auto-failover!
Yes it does! SCS (software constituting the guts of VMSclusters)
is *part* *of* OpenVMS. I am not aware of real load balancing in
DECnet, though some DECnet stacks do have load splitting.
VMSclusters have true load balancing and failover features as a
standard part of OpenVMS, if you have a clustering license at all.
|
| 1021.3 | | STAR::PARRIS | The SLED is dead, long live RAID | Fri Aug 06 1993 10:00 | 11 |
| > LAVC load balances
> by alternating which similar device it uses to make virtual connections.
It is on CI and DSSI where each adapter is used for a separate virtual circuit,
and we do load sharing by shifting connections among virtual circuits.
On FDDI and Ethernet, each adapter is used for a different channel, but there
is only one virtual circuit between any two nodes (which may use multiple
channels), not one virtual circuit for each adapter. Load balancing is done by
transmitting on the lowest-latency channel to a given remote node during each
interval of about 3 seconds.
|
| 1021.4 | SMT 7.2 and Full-Duplex Support | DELNI::G_NIELSEN | | Mon Oct 04 1993 10:28 | 13 |
| Please be aware:
DEMFAs are now shipping from the factory with Version 2.0 Firmware
Installed. V2.0 includes SMT 7.2 and Full-Duplex Support for the DEMFA.
OpenVMS AXP V1.5 can only recognize DEMFA FW revs up to V1.4. A DEMFA with
V2.0 must be down-Reved to V1.4 using the Console LFU utility prior to use
on ALPHA. This will be fixed in a furture version of OpenVMS AXP. (There
is a possibility of a patch sooner ????)
The QB- order numbers for the OpenVMS VAX NDU upgrade kits for DEMFA v2.0
firmware will appear in a separate note shortly.
|
| 1021.5 | | CSC32::B_GOODWIN | | Mon Oct 04 1993 10:36 | 5 |
| I hope there is a patch soon, otherwise you will be seeing CLD's on this problem
costing the corporation more money to support! Not to mention the time spent
by the field engineer trying to figure out why they system won't seen the
DEMFA.
|
| 1021.6 | DRAFT Sales Update for V2.0 FW Upgrade | DELNI::G_NIELSEN | | Fri Oct 08 1993 13:02 | 125 |
| This sales update will not appear on-line until 1-NOV-93; however, the
prices should appear on the price file no-later-than 25-OCT-93.
From: DELNI::G_NIELSEN "GEORGE NIELSEN, NAC PRODUCT MANAGEMENT,
DTN: 226-5510, MAIL: LKG1-2/W06" 8-OCT-1993 11:51:15.92
To: NM%SALES::SALES_UPDATE
CC: G_NIELSEN
Subj: DEMFA V2.0 FW Update SU (PMC# 1014-07)
DEC FDDIcontroller 400 Software Microcode V2.0 Update for OpenVMS VAX
CONTACTS
George Nielsen DTN: 226-5510 Outside: (508)486-5510 LKG1-2/W06
HIGHLIGHTS
- Support for ANSI FDDI SMT V7.2
- Support for Full-Duplex (Point-to-Point) to complement GIGAswitch
CUSTOMER PROBLEM
- Need for continued Interoperability with both Digital and non-Digital FDDI
products.
- The desire to fully utilize Digital's GIGAswitch, and its full-duplex
FDDI port capabilities in a high performance point-to-point switched network
configuration, or simply eliminate token rotation latencies in point-to-
point connections with another cooperating FDDI port.
DIGITAL SOLUTION
Track the evolution of the ANSI FDDI Standard by providing timely functional
firmware updates. This new version of Software Microcode for the DEC FDDI-
controller 400 includes ANSI FDDI SMT V7.2. (V7.2 is backwards compatible
with V6.2, which is currently shipping.)
The full-duplex mode of operation is negotiated during the FDDI connection
process, and is only entered if this is a point-to-point connection (only
two stations), and the other FDDI port can also operate in full-duplex mode.
Otherwise, the connection is initialized as a standard FDDI Single Attachment
Station (SAS) port.
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
Continued Interoperability with all other Digital and non-Digital ANSI FDDI
Standard Compliant FDDI devices - SMT V7.2
The full-duplex mode operates without a Token. This eliminates the latencies
associated with token rotation time in high performance applications, and
allows aggregate throughputs in excess of 100 Megabits/Second/Adapter.
COMPETITIVE COMPARISON
Full-Duplex is currently unique to Digital; however, we are actively licensing
the Full-Duplex SMT capabilities to other key supporting vendors.
CHANNELS STRATEGY
Digital Direct Sales
PRICING/ORDERING INFORMATION
* For the 1st Adapter at a Site
Model No. Description MLP
----------- ------------------------------ ---------
QB-MF4A8-AA DEC FDDIcontroller 400 V2.0
Software Microcode Upgrade Kit
for OpenVMS VAX on 9 Track,
1600 bpi MagTape $265
QB-MF4A8-AB DEC FDDIcontroller 400 V2.0
Software Microcode Upgrade Kit
for OpenVMS VAX on TK50 $265
* For the 2nd (+) Adapter(s) at a Site
Model No. Description MLP
----------- ------------------------------ ---------
QL-MF3AA-RA DEC FDDIcontroller 400 V2.0
Software Microcode Upgrade Lic. $90
SERVICES
OpenVMS VAX Host CPUs:
The QB-Upgrade Kits above include DECndu Licenses and Media for use on
OpenVMS VAX CPUs to load the new adapter firmware. The firmware update can
be done by either the customer or Digital Service personnel.
TECHNICAL DATA
All new DEC FDDIcontroller 400s (DEMFA) will be shipped from the factory
with V2.0 firmware installed.
CONFIGURATION INFORMATION
OpenVMS AXP Host CPUs (DEC 7000/10000):
OpenVMS AXP V1.5 is set up to only recognize up to V1.4 of the adapter
firmware. Attempted use of an adapter with V2.0 firmware will result
in DECnet hanging during initialization for example.
When installing a new DEMFA with V2.0 firmware on a DEC 7000/10000, the
console LFU utility must be used to down-rev the DEMFA to V1.4 firmware.
V1.4 firmware is currently distributed on the LFU CDROM. The V1.4
firmware does NOT include support for SMT 7.2 or Full-Duplex.
At such time as OpenVMS AXP can recognize DEMFA V2.0 firmware, the V2.0
firmware will be included in the LFU CDROM distribution.
RESOURCES
- Internal: FDDI Notes File
- External: Contact George Nielsen
TRADEMARKS
OpenVMS, AXP, DEC, Digital
|
| 1021.7 | V1.5 FXDRIVER for cluster support | STAR::STOCKDALE | | Mon Oct 25 1993 08:48 | 6 |
| The patch kit (TIMA?) for the FXDRIVER is called AXPFXDR01_015. I think it
is mentioned in the release notes for the announcement of FDDI cluster
support. It is required for cluster support and incidentally supports the
V2.0 firmware change which causes DECnet to fail to start.
Dick
|