[Info-vax] %SYSTEM-F-ACCVIO again

[Simon Clubley]

On 2024-04-09, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
> On 4/9/2024 8:45 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2024-04-08, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>>> But I think it would be very problematic with VMS complaining
>>> over configs that are not known to work.
>>>
>>> Because removing that test would require a release.
>>>
>>> We would see:
>>>
>>> ...
>>> VMS 9.2-2H41 - added support for VM Foo 17 and VM Bar 3
>>> VMS 9.2-2H42 - added support for VM Bar 4 and VM FooBar 7
>>> ..
>>>
>>> No thanks.
>> 
>> It does not have to be a release - it could be a patch.
>
> True.
>
> But I don't like:
> ...
> VMS 9.2-2 with HW patch 41
> VMS 9.2-2 with HW patch 42
> ...
>
> either.
>

How many VM solutions do you think there are out there ? :-)

Hint: there isn't 41 of them. :-)

>> IOW, my suggested approach is a very long-established part of the
>> VMS world. The only difference now is that VMS would be allowed to
>> continue booting if you set an override flag or SYSGEN parameter.
>> 
>> Also, there should be no need to add support for "VM Bar 4" unless
>> it brought new functionality over "VM Bar 3" that you wanted to
>> support in VMS.
>
> ????
>
> The interest in different VM's is not driven by what VMS need,
> but from what customers want.
>

What customers need is implemented by turning it into what VMS needs...

>> VMS is used in mission-critical production environments. You should
>> not be allowed to accidentally boot into an unsupported configuration
>> without being made _VERY_ aware of that fact.
>
> Hopefully those running a mission critical production environment
> on VMS read about supported configs before moving production to
> that config and never runs it in anything accidentally
> booted.
>

According to some people: "There is no need for anything more safer than
the C or C++ programming language. You just have to be careful when writing
your code...". Your comment above is from the same incorrect mindset.

In the real world, people make mistakes, especially in an outsourced
environment where people cost, not people capability, is the driving
factor and hence people are not as skilled with VMS as they could be.

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.