[Info-vax] Building a VAXcluster with SIMH and real hardware

[Chris Scheers]

Antonio Carlini wrote:
> I'm trying to build a VMS cluster using SIMH as the disk server and a VAXstation 4000-60 as a satellite. The VS4060 has a disk and I can boot VMS on that and then SET HOST to/from the SIMH node, so there's no network connectivity issue.
> 
> On the SIMH node I did the following:
>   - installed VMS V7.2
>   - I picked Y for all the options except the MGMT Station stuff
>   - I picked Phase IV
>   - Completed the install
>   - Installed the Hobbyist PAKs (all of them)
>   - @NETCONFIG to set up the DECnet Phase IV stuff
>   - Installed UCX V4.1
>   - Added STARTNET and UCX$STARTUP to SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM
>  
> At this point I tested network connectivity and all is fine.
> 
> Now I used @CLUSTER_CONFIG to ADD this node (i.e. to form a new cluster).
> Then I used @CLUSTER_CONFIG again to add the VS4060 as a satellite.
> 
> Now I "B ESA0" at the VS4060 console and on the SIMH node I see:
> 
> %%%%%%%%%%%  OPCOM  25-AUG-2020 17:05:32.18  %%%%%%%%%%%
> Message from user DECNET on CLU071
> DECnet event 0.3, automatic line service
> From node 1.51 (CLU071), 25-AUG-2020 17:05:32.18
> Circuit QNA-0, Load, Requested, Node = 1.52 (VS4060)
> File = DISK$OPENVMS071:<SYS10.>, Operating system
> Ethernet address = 08-00-2B-2E-19-6C 
> 
> which looks good but the satellite does this:
> 
> %VAXcluster, system loaded from VAX072 (AA-00-04-00-33-04)
> 
> %VAXcluster, unable to locate BOOT file
>   83 BOOT SYS
> 
> -ESA0
> 
> and repeats that indefinitely.
> 
> The [SYS10.] root looks OK and does seem to have the correct links but something is obviously not quite right.
> 
> I did this a few weeks ago using V7.1 and the behaviour was the same. V7.2 is the latest I have handy.
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Antonio 
> 
> Antonio Carlini


I have used a Windows 10 laptop with SIMH as a boot node many times.  I 
have done this with a VS4000-90.  (Usually I am doing this to copy the 
data off some VAX disks.)

I usually use V7.3, but I wouldn't expect the VMS version to be an issue.

The usual issue is networking.

For a VS4000-60, your network connector is either AUI or thinwire.  How 
are you connecting this to the SIMH instance?

If you are using AUI, you may need to look for a switch setting on the 
transceiver to turn heart beat on.

I've been using a DEChub 90T-16 as a thinwire to twisted pair converter.

What is the host configuration for SIMH?

If Windows, you may need to make sure that any of the Ethernet adapter's 
TOE options are turned off.

In a recent Windows environment, you may need to turn off ECN.  I don't 
know if this causes problems for SIMH, but I have seen problems with 
other emulators.

Good luck!

-- 
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Chris Scheers, Applied Synergy, Inc.

Voice: 817-237-3360            Internet: chris at applied-synergy.com
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