[comp.arch] Looking for detailed documentation on a workstation

ins_anmy@jhunix (Norman Yarvin) (05/18/89)

I am working on a project which involves the design of a secure computer.
At this point, I want to get a detailed description of the internals of some
workstation-class machine, in order to evaluate how a real-world design
would be affected by the changes I have in mind.

What sort of documentation is available for such computers?  I know that
extensive documentation is available for computers such as the PC and the
Mac, but I would like to analyze something more complete.  I only am
interested in microprocessor-based computers; Vaxes are out.

Thanks for any help,

					Norman Yarvin
				yarvin@cs.jhu.edu, or
		(seismo!umcp-cs | allegra!hopkins) !jhunix!ins_anmy

henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (05/19/89)

In article <1809@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU> ins_anmy@jhunix (Norman Yarvin) writes:
>At this point, I want to get a detailed description of the internals of some
>workstation-class machine, in order to evaluate how a real-world design
>would be affected by the changes I have in mind.
>
>What sort of documentation is available for such computers?  ...

All too often the answer to such a query is either "ha ha ha ha" or "we are
*not* giving away our crown jewels!".  Never mind that any competent
engineering team could reverse-engineer the thing in a month, and the only
people who are being inconvenienced are the honest customers; that info
is Top Secret.  "Our software runs real fine, so don't bother your little
head about what's inside."

It is reported that Mips, in particular, is a bit more rational about such
things.  I have not verified that personally.
-- 
Subversion, n:  a superset     |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
of a subset.    --J.J. Horning | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu