[Info-vax] DEC Multia (UDB) issues

[John Wallace]

On Aug 22, 10:35 pm, MG <marcog... at SPAMxs4all.nl> wrote:
> On 22-8-2011 23:21, John Wallace wrote:
>
> > Any device not recognised by the SRM cannot be a bootable device. Any
> > clearer? Doesn't matter, you worked it out anyway.
>
> It was already clear, I thought you were instead specifically referring
> to something.
>
> > Depends on whether you can boot with the default settings it reverts
> > to when it loses power. If saving the settings does need battery power
> > and the default settings don't work (I can't remember, I haven't had
> > an Alpha Multia for a while) then you have to re-enter them each time
> > by hand and boot by hand.
>
> That's what I meant.  Okay, that's good to know then.  I think I can
> live with(out) that.  (Unless a new battery isn't so expensive, or
> buried inside the package of the NVR/TOY IC; as is the case with many
> older Sun SPARC workstation-type systems, unfortunately.)
>

There's a Multia service manual at http://www.alphalinux.org/docs/udb-manual.pdf.gz

It confirms that console settings will be lost when the battery is
dead. Sadly the manual also illustrates that the battery is not an off-
the-shelf coin cell in the Alpha Multia (I had been thinking it was -
maybe I had it confused with the Intel UDB, which did have a standard
coin cell, but obviously didn't run VMS). Someone willing to improvise
with a soldering iron could probably sort the battery.

> > Wrt the question of a load device, and indeed avoiding the SCSI in
> > general: have you considered having the Multia as a cluster satellite
> > node? It's not going to be fast but I guess you knew that anyway.
>
> I have mostly I64 systems running.  I don't know where to begin with
> that.  Is it even possible?  (I haven't ever looked into that either.)
>
> - MG

Obviously VMS isn't supported on Multia anyway. In an Alpha-centric
setup, clustering the Multia might have been worth some thought, but
booting an old Multia-compatible Alpha VMS version as a satellite in
an IA64-centric setup (ie more recent VMS) probably isn't a bright
idea at all (even if it stood much chance of working).

Back to the RRD43 - it should work as a load device, subject to
correct SCSI config. Non-DEC stuff may work, subject to things like
block size and other settings.

Are you using an actual pressed VMS CD, or a CD-R? Some much older CD
drives weren't good at reading CD-R media.

What's inspiring you to do this Multia thing? You might be impressed
by running VMS on a box that size, but you probably won't be impressed
with the performance.

Have fun anyway!