riordanmr@clvax1.cl.msu.edu (Mark Riordan) (01/10/91)
We are forced to get rid of our 8650 due to budget cuts and the relatively high cost of hardware maintenance for the machine. Rather than leave our VMS users hanging, I'd like to get a smaller machine to replace the 8650--perhaps a VAXstation 3100/76. The main problem that I see with this (and I'm sure there are plenty others) is the difficulty of configuring a VAXstation with lots of disk space. I want an RRD40 and TZ30 on the VAXstation for software distribution purposes, and a helical scan tape drive for backup. According to my calculations & DEC literature, this leaves me with only 3 spaces available on the SCSI chain for disks. (Maybe not even that; DEC literature says there is room for 3 external storage boxes, but I assume they really mean 6 devices.) I want at least 4 GB of disk space. There is an internal SCSI bus on the VS 3100's, but DEC's RZ22/ RZ23/RZ24 drives are so small in capacity that I feel I shouldn't bother messing with them. Is there some way I can tap the internal SCSI bus and use external drives with it? Also, does anyone know of SCSI drives >1GB in size? If I could find 2 GB drives, maybe 3 free SCSI "slots" wouldn't be so bad. Any other comments on the proposed 8650->VS3100 migration will be appreciated. I'm not going to try to fool myself into thinking that a VS can fully replace an 8650, but the 8650 must go and I need to find a low-cost, low-maintenance replacement--or face some very unhappy VMS-less users. Thanks! Mark Riordan Michigan State University riordanmr@clvax1.cl.msu.edu