[Info-vax] VAXStation 3100

[Dave Froble]

On 1/16/2019 5:26 PM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> On 1/16/19 4:56 PM, Phillip Helbig (undress to reply) wrote:
>> 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.
>
> Then can't I install them on a second disk or do they require
> being on the system disk?  Trick might be to put the minimum
> necessary on the system disk.  Or go with the netboot option.  :-)
>
>>
>> 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.
>
> Because I have 4 VS3100's and I have no VS4000.  :-)
>
>>
>>>> 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.
>
> Have to read about that as I have no idea what it is or what it
> does.  My last cluster had a storage array serving all the disks
> to all the machines of CI.
>
>>
>>> 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.
>
> Just as another note for anyone interested.  I got the second
> 3100 running.  It had 7.1 on the first disk but I suspect the
> disk is bad.  It made some funny noises when first starting up
> but settled down after a few minutes.  But when I went to login
> the system crashed.  Second disk has Ultrix on it.  Haven't
> tried the third disk yet.  It may be a data disk for one or the
> opther of the OSes.  I think this was the machine that used to
> be used for VMS and Ultrix Kermit binaries.
>
> bill
>
>

You may end up with disk problems, and anything you find will be just as 
old.

A while back I ran across reference to a device that hooked to the SCSI 
bus, and used one of those chips like used with cameras to provide the 
storage.  Haven't pursued it yet.


-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
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