[comp.sys.dec] RZ23 setup on DEC3100 Station

jmoore@cidmac.ecn.purdue.edu (James D Moore) (06/05/90)

Recently I asked a question and got some good tips on how to fix my
problem from this group. I have another one for you. Our systems are
set up as follows : Dec3100 Server (8mb), 3 Dec3110 Stations (8mb)
TK50, 2 RZ55, RZ23 (in one of the clients). We are running ultrix.

We recently set the systems up and I have yet to figure out how I
can use the RZ23 on the client station. I want to use it as swap
space but have no clue as to what to do first. I am short on disk
space and have a 650MB disk we are going to order but I need to get
the RZ23 in use now. Any assistance or direction would be helpful.

Thanks.

Jim Moore
Purdue University
Industrial Engineering Dept
jmoore@cidmac.ecn.purdue.edu

mf@uunet.UU.NET (mf) (06/05/90)

We have been able to use successfully only one RZ23 per DS3100 and have
significant space left on it.  This was done essentially by NFS mounting
/usr/etc, /usr/bin, /usr/lib, /usr/man, /usr/ucb from one NFS server.  

This has to be done carefully, since some of the programs in /etc which are
links to ../usr/etc are needed at boot time.  Anyway, our local /usr
is down to 31 Mb (incl. var).

beaulieu@gca.UUCP (Larry Beaulieu) (06/07/90)

> We recently set the systems up and I have yet to figure out how I
> can use the RZ23 on the client station. I want to use it as swap
> space but have no clue as to what to do first. I am short on disk

	You first configure the system as a diskless node on your
	server.

	You then create a new configuration file for your client
	system and edit it, replacing the line in your config file
	of the format:

	config vmunxi root on qe0 

	with something like
		
	config vmunix root on qe0 swap on rz4b

		or whatever the device name of the local drive is. 

	You also need to ensure that the disk controller and disk
	are also specified in the configuration file.  This will 
	allow you to use partition b of the local drive
	for paging and swapping. This wouldn't gain you a whole lot of disk
	space, but would obviously reduce the load on your server.

	The formal procedure is detailed in Chapter 4 of the Ultrix 3.0
	Guide to Diskless Management Services; I would assume that 3.1
	also supports this function.

	You could also probably copy a root partition onto partition a
	on the local drive and use /usr/mdec/installboot to make it
	bootable; your /usr partition would mounted via NFS from the
	server, and you would need a new kernel generated which
	configures vmunix to be on the local drive, something like:

	config vmunix root on rz4a swap on rz4b

	This would approximate the dataless client configuration
	available under SunOS.  I've never done it on a DEC system, but
	I have for Sun 3's and 3-x's.

	You could then take partitions d-h and mount/use them locally
	or possibly export them (ugh) for the other systems to store
	data on.

-- 
Larry Beaulieu				The usual disclaimers apply.
GCA/Ultratech Corporation, 	
Andover, MA						
beaulieu@gca.com (or ...uunet!gca!beaulieu, if you prefer)

stpierre@hawk.ulowell.edu (Bob "Pete" St.Pierre) (06/07/90)

In article <1990Jun4.181254.8137@ecn.purdue.edu> jmoore@cidmac.ecn.purdue.edu (James D Moore) writes:
>
>set up as follows : Dec3100 Server (8mb), 3 Dec3110 Stations (8mb)
>TK50, 2 RZ55, RZ23 (in one of the clients). We are running ultrix.
>
>We recently set the systems up and I have yet to figure out how I
>can use the RZ23 on the client station. I want to use it as swap
>space but have no clue as to what to do first. I am short on disk
>space and have a 650MB disk we are going to order but I need to get
>the RZ23 in use now. Any assistance or direction would be helpful.

	If your short on disk space this probably won't help much be here 
	goes:

First you have to configure one of your machines as a server for diskless 
clients.  This is done using dms, and the Ultrix server software (Ultrix 3.X)
or your regular distribution tapes (Ultrix 4.0).  The diskless environement
takes about 68Mb with DECnet/Man pages, and some of the Unsupported stuff.

After the server is configured, you can use dms to register a diskless client.
One of the questions dms will ask pertains to where the client will swap, and
do crash dumps.  The client disk is one option, the server is the other.  If
you chose the client you will be prompted for the device name [ie rz3c] for
the whole disk.  If you want you can probably use chpt, change the 
partition sizes, and use some of the 104Mb for data.  I use a 33Mb partition,
(the default b partition) and should probably have made it larger.  

If you are already booting diskless, you should be able to edit the kernel
config file and change the kernel definition to:

>config  vmunix  root on boot swap on rz3c

Hope this helps.
--
Bob (Pete) St.Pierre    	                           University of Lowell
Systems Manager                                            1 University Ave
stpierre@ulowell.edu                                       Lowell, Mass 01854
postmaster@ulowell.edu		                           (508) 934-3645


Bob (Pete) St.Pierre    	                           University of Lowell
Systems Manager                                            1 University Ave
stpierre@ulowell.edu                                       Lowell, Mass 01854
postmaster@ulowell.edu		                           (508) 934-3645

cpm@cpoint.UUCP (Chris Martel) (06/08/90)

In article <978@swan.ulowell.edu> stpierre@hawk.ulowell.edu (Bob "Pete" St.Pierre) writes:

>First you have to configure one of your machines as a server for diskless 
>clients.  This is done using dms, and the Ultrix server software (Ultrix 3.X)
>or your regular distribution tapes (Ultrix 4.0).  The diskless environement
>takes about 68Mb with DECnet/Man pages, and some of the Unsupported stuff.

Does this mean all server software is included in the Ultrix 4.0 release and
you do not have to buy an Ultrix Server kit to be a diskless server?

I was just configuring my DS3100 running Ultrix 3.1 to be a server and found 
out I have to get a server license and a server software kit. If Ultrix 4.0 
has all this included I will be better off just getting Ultrix 4.0.


Thanks in advance.

Chris Martel			
Clearpoint Research Corp.

grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) (06/08/90)

In article <5442@cpoint.UUCP> cpm@cpoint.UUCP (Chris Martel) writes:
> In article <978@swan.ulowell.edu> stpierre@hawk.ulowell.edu (Bob "Pete" St.Pierre) writes:
> 
> Does this mean all server software is included in the Ultrix 4.0 release and
> you do not have to buy an Ultrix Server kit to be a diskless server?

The Ultrix server kit is included in some of the pre-configured 5800 and
perhaps 5400 system configurations.  I don't know if 4.0 changes this one
way or the other.

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,     uucp:   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing:   domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com
Commodore, Engineering Department     phone:  215-431-9349 (only by moonlite)