[Info-vax] booting vaxstation off alpha

[David Froble]

Phillip Helbig---undress to reply wrote:
> In article <kf6qaj$enn$1 at dont-email.me>, Stephen Hoffman
> <seaohveh at hoffmanlabs.invalid> writes: 
> 
>> Now since you're looking at DECnet and clustering...
>>
>> First, to ensure there's no confusion around the relationship between 
>> DECnet and clustering...
>>
>> ....SET HOST is unrelated to clustering.
>>
>> ....DECnet is unrelated to clustering.
>>
>> ....Clustering does not require DECnet.
>>
>> ....DECnet does not need nor use nor depend on clustering.
> 
> Do you need DECnet at all?
> 

Do you need a computer at all?

I've seen people get stubborn about DECnet.  They feel they are using 
TCP/IP and therefore won't install DECnet.  I feel this is a big mistake.

Just this one thing makes DECnet worth having.

You need to do something with TCP/IP on a remote system, which will 
include shutting down and re-starting TCP/IP.  How do you connect to the 
system?  TCP/IP is down and TELNET won't work.  DECnet will provide you 
with SET HOST FOO (or whatever the computer name is).

When you don't need the complexity of a cluster, DECnet's FAL provides 
access to RMS files on remote systems.

Utilities such as COPY, DIRECTORY, and such use DECnet.

Doing a BACKUP to a disk on a  remote system uses DECnet.

DECnet IV has little cost and great value.

Even on a single system there are some advantages with DECnet.