[Info-vax] VAXStation 3100

[Phillip Helbig undress to reply]

In article <ga9dkmFjtv3U1 at mid.individual.net>, Bill Gunshannon
<bill.gunshannon at gmail.com> writes: 

> >> What is the smallest size disk one would recommend for
> >> VAX/VMS 7.3 and all the layered products the Hobbyist
> >> Program provides Keys for?
> > 
> > 4 GB is luxury.  2 should be enough.  I ran 2-GB system disks on VAXen
> > for about 15 years.  Maybe 1 GB if you are careful, but go with 2.
> 
> 4GB and 2GB will not boot on a VS3100.  Not really sure about 1GB
> I was hoping maybe 340M as I have a bunch of them.

I'm pretty sure that "all the layered products" would need at least 1 
GB, probably more than the maximum size of the disk the VS3100 can boot 
from.

Why not get a VAXstation 4000?  About the same size, lighter (since 
plastic not metal casing), more-standard SCSI, much faster, about the 
same power requirements and noise level, and can handle larger boot 
disks.

> > I really, really, really, really recommend HBVS.  The only real
> > disadvantage on VAX is that MINICOPY doesn't work.  (Well, technically
> > it works between disks which have direct connections only to VAX systems
> > as long as the corresponding (DIS)MOUNT commands are issued from a
> > non-VAX in the same cluster.)
> 
> Let's bhe realistic here.  It's just going to be me.  I doubt I
> will be setting up a cluster.  Haven't had one of those since I
> got rid of the Big iron at the University.  Even in an environment
> with potentially 50-60 simultaneous users I don't really think it
> was necessary.

Even without a cluster, you should use HBVS for the disks.

> I suspect you may not have much experience with he VS3100.  It's
> more of a toy than a mainframe. Although there was a time I and
> others considered it quite the system.  :-)

I started out with VMS on a VAXstation 3100.  Together with about 20 or 
30 other people, some of whom were doing image processing.  A nice 
machine in its time.  I had one in a cluster with an ALPHA and another 
VAX for a while, but after ALPHA came out, one could get VAXen for cheap 
or free, so I went for the 4000.