[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference 44.370::system_management

Title:system management communications forum
Moderator:CHEST::THOMPSON
Created:Fri Mar 21 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jul 08 1993
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:490
Total number of notes:2018

57.0. "Systems Update" by ELBOW::DRAPER (Steve Draper) Tue Aug 04 1987 20:03

    Seems a long while since we had an update - so here goes.....
    
    Computer Systems
    ----------------
    
    The keener computer room observers will have already noticed that
    a second 8530 processor has arrived (today) and has now been moved
    into the computer room. (If you go near the laser printers, be careful
    not to trip over it!!). This processor will be clustered with Vulcan,
    to provide the three cluster environments (support, current, and
    futures) that we have waited so long for.
    
    However.....not yet!!! Currently, there is absolutely NO SPARE 3
    PHASE POWER in the computer room. Something will have to go before
    we can plug the new system in. Power will be provided by the removal
    of the four RP06s later this month.
    
    These are to be replaced by four RA60s (bigger capacity, less room,
    less power consumption) that are already installed on U3. Currently
    there is some concern about the error rate being experienced on
    these drives, but I have been assured by Field Service that an ECO
    being fitted to the UDA50 on U3 tonight will cure the problem.
    
    I have also been promised that the final 8530 processor (to be
    clustered with RDGE00 and RDGE28 will be here by the end of this
    week.....
    
    Work continues on ADGV01 - the 11/750 router for the PDPs. This
    has now been upgraded to VMS 4.5, and as soon as it has shown itself
    to be stable, the PDPs will have their DECnet connections removed
    from the ADG cluster and transferred to it.
    
    
    Software
    --------
    
    It is intended to upgrade the ADG cluster to VMS V4.5 within the
    next week or so. Shortly after that, the Futures cluster will be
    upgraded to VMS V4.6. A separate announcement will be made later
    about this.
    
    Document V1.0 is now installed on the Futures cluster and Vulcan.
    As soon as the ADG cluster goes to VMS V4.5, Document will be installed
    on there too.
    
    It appears that some people are still unaware that there is (limited)
    information about our systems on VTX. It is hoped to expand this
    information shortly.
    
    
    Printer Room/Microvax Room
    --------------------------
    
    Work has now started on the printer and microvax computer rooms
    and is hoped to be completed by the end of August. This will be
    in the old mezzanine room as (roughly) shown below. The microvax
    room door will have a security (card key) lock on it, but there
    will be no lock on the printer room door.
    
                                                |
    |                                           |
    |             UK Area                       |
    |                                           |    UK Area
    |         ---   ----------------------------|                   
    |         |  \                  |           |                      |
    |         |   \                  \          |                      |
    |         |                       \         |                      |
    |         |                     |           |                      |
    |         |                     | microvax  |                      |
    |         |                     |-----------|                      |
    |         |                     |           |                      |
    |         |                     |  Printers |                      |
    |         |                     |           |                      |
    |   /     |                     |    /      |   /                  |
    |  /      |                     |   /       |  /                   |
    ---     ----------------------------    --------  ------------------
    
                                                            
    
    --------------------------------------
    
    After the printers have been moved to their new location, access
    to the main computer room will be made more restricted, and only
    those people with a *real* need will be able to gain access. More
    details of this (including who what where and when) will be announced
    later.
    
    
    Terminals
    ---------
    
    Our first delivery of VT300 series terminals is due for shipment
    on 8th August. Details of groups due to receive them are available
    on VTX. Nominally we can expect to receive them about 10 days after
    shipment, so lets all live in hope!!!
    
    
    Regards,
    	steve
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
57.1VULCAN cluster - more infoRDGE00::THOMPSONWed Aug 05 1987 13:013
    The new 8530 processor clustered with VULCAN will be called HEAD
    and will have a DECNET address 41.705. Cluster alias will be announced
    later......
57.2Not quite...ELBOW::DRAPERSteve DraperWed Aug 05 1987 14:1217
    Just a small corection, Jerry. What this cluster will have is a
    LAT SERVICE ALIAS - not a CLUSTER alias.
    
    A LAT service alias is known only to the LATS as a name which covers
    all machines in a cluster, allowing the LAT to do some form of
    primitive load balancing between member systems.
    
    A cluster alias is a DECnet node name that describes the whole cluster
    and allows file transfer, set host etc to the cluster rather than
    individual nodes. In this way, DECnet performs some load balancing
    with respect to links. A cluster alias also means that one system
    in the cluster must be a DECnet router - something that I.S. wish
    to avoid (i.e. an excess of routers, which means an excess of routing
    update messages on the network); ergo we don't have (and are unlikely
    to have) any cluster aliases.
    
    Steve
57.3Who is the medical expert?RDGE00::RUSSELLWetnerking is the future, today!Wed Aug 05 1987 15:0614
    Hmmm - I wonder what this paranoia(sp) is with parts of the
    body in the system management group......
    
    Any one with any psychiatric knowledge prepared to comment
    or guess?
    
    Why not just call them RDADGx? or RDGADx? or whatever? but
    random names from anatomy - could get embarrassing soon
    (I know, I am a SEPTIC user........)
    
    Peter.
    
    
    
57.4What's in a name?GROYNE::HAYESIan Hayes, DTN 830 ext 4992Fri Aug 07 1987 15:5317
    The origin of species - oops, sorry I meant the origin of parts
    of the body node names - came from a desire to establish a theme for
    all the node names in ADG. Many of the good themes have been used
    already, but parts of the body were not, apart from a few like BRAIN
    and CRUTCH!
    
    So that's how we got there. Personally, I think it is much better
    to have sensible names instead of meaningless acronyms. Brings a
    bit of light relief to life sometimes!

    With respect to embarassing names, don't worry. All node names have
    to be approved. Dodgy ones will be rejected. For example, we were
    not allowed to have GROIN (predictably) or THIGH (surprisingly).
    We are using GROYNE intead which sounds the same but, as everyone
    knows, means something completely different.

    Ian
57.5update on U3's disc drivesRDGE28::THOMPSONWed Sep 02 1987 18:3913
    U3 disc drives
    --------------
    On Saturday 5th Sept data on U3's RP06 discs will be moved to RA60
    drives.
    
    U3 will then run on the RA60's until the following Saturday (12th)
    when the RP06's will be disconnected from the Massbus - provided
    there are no major problems during the week.
    
    U3 will therefore be down on both 5th and the 12th Sept.

    
    
57.6DOCUMENT and ADG disk spaceRDGE00::THOMPSONFri Sep 04 1987 11:2711
    Space on ADG's USERDISK has been increased by mounting it as a bound
    volume set of 2 RA81's.
    
    DISK$USERDISK on the ADG cluster now consists of $28$dua1
    and $28$dua15.

    So all you DOCUMENT users out there can (in theory) fill up a whole
    800000 blocks of disk with your DVI files.
    
    DOCUMENT V1.0 will be installed on the ADG cluster on or about 4th
    Sept. 
57.7New hardware available on....RDGE00::THOMPSONTue Sep 22 1987 14:0411
    Construction of HEAD the 8530 processor to be clustered with VULCAN
    will start on 22nd September. Bar major problems HEAD will be
    available by about 1st October. 
    
    
    The Text Retrieval Unit 8700 Vax will be delivered on 22nd September.
    Construction of this VAX will start about 4th October. It will be
    called EYE and have a DECNET address 41.783. 
    
    The LPS40 printer will be extracted from the clingfilm and bolted
    together in the new printer room on 23rd Sept. 
57.8Bit_miffed of RYO writesRDGE00::SADATCur non fieri possumus ebrii sensim?Wed Sep 23 1987 10:266
>    The Text Retrieval Unit 8700 Vax will be delivered on 22nd September.

Jerry, please, the 8700 is the End-User Engineering machine, a group in which
the Text Retrieval Unit is a mere detail...!

Tarik.
57.9Dear Possum.....RDGE00::THOMPSONTue Oct 06 1987 17:253
    Thanks Tarik. Would you care to find out from the 'mere detail'
    what the intended name of the EUE 8700 VAX will be. "EYE" was
    considered unsuitable for a machine to be used for Teckst Retreevul.
57.10FINGER::IBLand feel the quality :-)Tue Oct 06 1987 18:0410
    
    re .8
    		MERE DETAIL?????  Lissen 'ere sonny, if it wasn't
    		for this "mere detail", your poxy little project
    		would still be on the starting grid....! aha!!!!
    
    						Ian!!!!!!!!!!!!
    			      European ADG TEXT RETRIEVAL UNIT!
                              (a fairly large part of EUE :-))
                                                              
57.11Conference room terminal linesRDGE00::THOMPSONFri Oct 09 1987 16:059
    Now that the conference season is drawing to an end we have purloined
    2 DECserver 100's to provide 16 terminal lines to the ground floor meeting
    rooms. The larger of the 2 meeting rooms on the 1st floor will
    (eventually) also get an ethernet drop cable but..... 
    
    if you need to have terminal connections in the 1st floor room then
    you'll have to borrow one of the servers from downstairs.
    
    
57.12More VAXen for Acre RoadRDGE00::THOMPSONFri Oct 09 1987 16:446
    New VAXen will be built and plugged in commencing 19th October.
    8700 standalone system with 3 RA81's and TA78 for EUE (or Text
    Retrieval depending on who you believe) and an 8530 to be added
    to the ADG cluster to be called FOOT.
    
    Both Vaxes should be available by 23rd Oct.