nz@wucs.UUCP (Neal Ziring) (05/31/86)
In the latest edition of DEC's "Large Systems NEWS", DEC has announced
the availability of a new product, the _VAXcluster Console System_(tm).
To quote the article,
"DIGITAL is pleased to announce the VAXcluster
Console System, which provides a single,
central point of control for all cluster-wide console
functions...."
The gist of product is that you can eliminate all those hardcopy terminals
that DEC gives you to hook up to the Console port of a VAX(tm), and control
everything from a central uVAX-II containing special hardware and running
special software.
Now, I don't want to accuse DEC of recycling ideas, but the concept of a
console concentrator is not a new one. My boss, Mr. [name withheld],
thought up a console system for our installation, and over the course of
last summer, I implemented his ideas under BSD UNIX(tm).
We now use the CONCH system to record and access all the consoles in our
machine room (5 UNIX VAXen, 2 VMS VAXen, and a terminal data switch).
We like the convenience of accessing the console of any host from any
UNIX machine on the local network.
The minimum requirements for CONCH are:
1 - 4.2 or 4.2 UNIX or 1.x ULTRIX system on any VAXen
2 - one terminal port on the back of such a VAX for each
console to monitor.
3 - lots of disk space
One nice thing about this system is that it is not VMS-specific, any RS-232
port can be treated as a ``console''. Another nice thing is that no
special hardware is required. Berkeley IPC is required, though, apologies to
you systemV users.
If you would like more information about CONCH, send me a reply and I
will tell you anything you want to know, or send you the manual pages and
the CONCH reference document.
Lastly, CONCH is in the public domain -- free for the asking!
--
...nz (Neal Ziring at WU ECL - we're here to provide superior computing.)
{seismo,ihnp4,cbosgd}!wucs!nz OR nz@wucs.UUCP
"You could get an infinite number of wires into this !*$$#!?! junction
box, but we usually don't go that far in practice"
-- Employee of London Electricity Board, 1959