SIT.MALTZ@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU (leslie maltz) (09/17/86)
As Chairperson of the DECUS Large Systems Special Interest Group (SIG),
I'd like to share with you some fairly recent events that you might find
interesting. Over the course of the last two plus years the leadership and
membership of the SIG have been doing a lot of fairly deep thinking to
determine whether we should continue to exist within the DECUS structure
in today's world. As you may already know, many of us got our start on
DEC's 36 bit systems and abruptly found ourselves learning a new
architecture. After long deliberation and discussions with our membership
as well as many people involved elsewhere inside (including the VAX SIG
Steering Committee) and outside of DECUS, the SIG has emerged as a strong
viable organization. I'd like to share with you a brief description of
what we think we are all about and then ask your assistance for a few
minutes.
The LARGE SYSTEMS SIG has as its focus the issues and concerns
associated with the management, support, and use of Digital's highend
computing systems. Users of highend systems have many problems in common
which are distinct from users of the vast majority of smaller computing
systems. Such problems include support issues in a multi-vendor
environment, software licensing for clusters and networks, large databases
(manipulation and storage), performance and tuning, reliability, operator
interfaces, project accounting, configuration design, and support for
"real", fast, heavy duty cycle (reliable) peripherals. Such issues are
important in a "data center"-like and/or corporate/campus networked
environment or wherever VAXes are being used in support of mainframe-like
(highend computing) activities.
As such the LARGE SYSTEMS SIG sponsors activities oriented toward the
management and use of large VAXes, VAXclusters, DECsystems-10s, and
DECSYSTEM-20s. We welcome members who are interested in any/all of such
systems. In that light, the SIG is sponsoring its annual MENU. The MENU
is our official ballot through which users can indicate their priorities
and concerns regarding Digital's plans, products, and services. Regardless
of whether you are currently a member of our SIG or not, I encourage you to
consider the items listed in the MENU and to express your wishes via the
ballot. Digital responds to our MENU in several ways. First, it gives a
strong, unified message of the wishes of the user base. Numbers count!
Second, they formally respond to us at the semi-annual symposium (which is
in San Francisco in October). So please respond by mailing your ballot
form back to us via U.S. Mail or electronically to CRB@NIHCUDEC.BITNET.
The menu is available using ANONYMOUS FTP from SRI-STRIPE.ARPA. The menu is
<ANONYMOUS>DECUS-LGSYS.MENU, on SRI-STRIPE. Use your userid for a password.
Leslie Maltz
SIG Chair
BITNET: LMALTZ@SITVXA
-------