[Info-vax] X86 first boot? - A Really Stupid Question

[Dave Froble]

On 3/29/2019 10:35 AM, David Turner wrote:
> Seeing as how incompatibilities exist even on 1 Alphaserver or Integrity
> server, how the hell is VSI going to maintain drivers/support for
> options and servers and workstations running VSI x86-64 VMS?
>
> I mean, just buy a DELL server for example.
> Even under the same part number,  1 server may have a Broadcom network
> chip on the board, while the other may have an intel chipset.
> Same goes for SAS controllers, with ever changing firmware levels...
>
> And the support for a multitude of different branded servers using ever
> changing chipsets and cpus?
>
> Even Proliant servers, which are more parts-vendor stable, come from the
> manufacturer with different firmware levels. Everything seems to go out
> to the highest bidder on memory products, USB chips.....
>
> This is going to be TRUE HELL unless there is a very small and finite
> date code, product code, firmware version etc.
>
> Otherwise it is going to be a Sh*tstorm for VSI Support.....
>
> Methinks 2 very specific servers - HPE only - with some seriously
> limited options and expansion capabilities, is the only way forward...
>
> My opinion but experience does sometimes trump logic.

One simple option David.  VirtualBox.

Or put another way, let others handle all the different configurations, 
in the case of VirtualBox, that would be Oracle.  In the case of VMware 
it would be, I believe, Dell.

Will everyone like this solution?  I doubt it.  I didn't until recently. 
  Some will feel they just have to have things running on "bare metal". 
  Some may need that.

I'm not one who advocates HPE servers.  Perhaps I'm wrong in feeling 
that way, but I'm more than a little upset about how HP treated VMS. 
Just call me "Grudge".  Then again, I've usually suggested "don't cut 
off your nose to spite your face" and "don't burn bridges behind you".

Or, you David could set up an operation to mfg and sell systems that 
meet rigid specifications, which VSI could support.

:-)

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
Vanderbilt, PA  15486