Will@cup.portal.com (Will E Estes) (06/06/89)
Can someone explain to me the differences between the different model numbers in the VAX line? I'm looking at a list here that has the MicroVAX II and 3000, VAX 8200, 8300, 8500, 8600, 8700, and the 11/750 and 11/780. Specifically: 1) What are the MIPS on each of these machines? 2) Which of these run DECwindows? 3) What are the costs? 4) Which are no longer produced or supported? Thanks, Will
leichter@CS.YALE.EDU (Jerry Leichter (LEICHTER-JERRY@CS.YALE.EDU)) (06/07/89)
In article <19145@cup.portal.com>, Will@cup.portal.com (Will E Estes)
writes...
Can someone explain to me the differences between the different model
numbers in the VAX line? I'm looking at a list here that has the
MicroVAX II and 3000, VAX 8200, 8300, 8500, 8600, 8700, and the 11/750
and 11/780. Specifically: 1) What are the MIPS on each of these
machines?
Well, we all know that "MIPS" stands for something like "Meaningless indicator
of Processor Speed", right? A more reliable measure, among VAXes, is the VUP,
where an 11/780 defines 1 VUP (VAX Unit of Processing). By many people's
measure, 1 VUP is roughly the same a 1 MIP in processing effectiveness.
Anyhow, as best as I can now recall them:
MicroVAX II .9 VUP, more or less. Faster at some things (pro-
cedure calls) much slower at others (commerical
instructions, e.g., COBOL packed decimal.
3000 No such machine. There are many different machines
in the 3000 series, using at least 2 different chips.
Depending on the machine you chose, you get either 2.7
or 3.4 VUPS.
8200 1 VUP. Very closely equivalent to a 780 across almost
all applications.
8300 Dual-processor 8200.
8600 4.3 VUP.
8700 4.4 or so VUP.
780 1 VUP, exactly.
750 .7 VUP.
2) Which of these run DECwindows?
There are two halves to DECwindows: The client, which does the computing, and
the server, which does the displaying. Any VAX can run the client software
(assuming it is running at least V5.1 of VMS). A client has to be a worksta-
tion; none of the machines you listed are workstations, though some have close
relatives which are (e.g., a VAXStation II is the workstation based on the
same hardware as the MicroVAX II.)
3) What are the costs?
Of the items on your list, anywhere from free (I've seen people giving away
750's, though they still bring a couple of thousand on the used market) to
several hundred thousand.
4) Which are no longer produced or supported?
ALL are still supported. The "3000 series" consists of a number (5 or 6 at
least) of very recent machines. I believe they are all still being produced.
The 8200 and 8300 MAY still be produced - I'm not sure. The 8700 is no longer
produced under that name - it was replaced by the 8810, which has a different
console, but is otherwise the same machine. All the rest of the machines on
your list are no longer produced, and the 8810 is on its way out....
I'm really not sure what you were trying to get at with these questions. You
managed to miss all the current mid-range machines (the 6000 series) and most
of the workstations. Several of your questions didn't make very much sense.
As a result, I doubt these answers are really going to do you much good....
I suggest you back off a bit and ask the questions that REALLY concern you,
rather than trying to descend to the technical details prematurely.
-- Jerryenvbvs@epb2.lbl.gov (Brian V. Smith) (06/07/89)
> > There are two halves to DECwindows: The client, which does the computing, and > the server, which does the displaying. Any VAX can run the client software > (assuming it is running at least V5.1 of VMS). A client has to be a worksta- > tion; This is most certainly NOT true. I have run X clients on Sun servers, Vax11/780s, Vax8650 (running 4.3BSD), etc. There is no requirement that the client run on a workstation, or that it be running underVMS. It just needs to have some sort of connection to the server (TCP/IP or DECNET, for example.) The DECwindows SERVER runs under Ultrix besides VMS. In fact, version 1.0 of the Ultrix Windowing Software (UWS1.0), which is equivalent to X version 10.3 (or .4?) only runs under Ultrix. Now, the server must by definition run on a machine with a display. This is usually one of the criteria for a workstation computer; that it has a graphic display of some sort. One can usually mix and match clients and servers. That is, you could run an X client on a Sun and display its graphics on your local workstation of any flavor running (DECwindows or X from MIT, or any other X server). That is merely one of the nice things about X. _____________________________________ Brian V. Smith (bvsmith@lbl.gov) Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory The usual disclaimers apply.
frank@croton.DEC.COM (Frank Wortner) (06/08/89)
In article <2788@helios.ee.lbl.gov>, envbvs@epb2.lbl.gov (Brian V. Smith) writes: > The DECwindows SERVER runs under Ultrix besides VMS. > In fact, version 1.0 of the Ultrix Windowing Software (UWS1.0), which is > equivalent to X version 10.3 (or .4?) only runs under Ultrix. > I just want to pick a couple of nits. :-) UWS stands for Ultrix Worksystem Software. The current version is 2.0, and the X server is based on X Version 11 Release 3. Cheers, Frank Wortner Ultrix Resource Center Digital Equipment Corporation
sinclair@aerospace.aero.org (William S. Sinclair) (06/08/89)
What would be required to have the SERVER on a VMS node, with a client running UNIX, assuming they both are running X-windows? Is X-windows layered on TOP of DECNET, or TCP/IP? I am looking at those packages that allow a mixed environment, for example FUSION, or Wollangong. Bill S.
usenet@rpi.edu (usenet) (06/08/89)
Reply-to: Matt Madison <MADISON@vms.ecs.rpi.edu> Date: Thu, 08 Jun 89 08:12:49 EDT Message-ID: <00925F4E.1C8F58C0@mdmvs.ecs.rpi.edu> Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY In article <52539@aerospace.AERO.ORG>, sinclair@aerospace.aero.org (William S. Sinclair) writes: >What would be required to have the SERVER on a VMS node, with a client >running UNIX, assuming they both are running X-windows? Is X-windows >layered on TOP of DECNET, or TCP/IP? I am looking at those packages >that allow a mixed environment, for example FUSION, or Wollangong. DECwindows for VMS currently only supports DECnet as a transport protocol between systems. ============================================================================== Matt Madison, Systems Programmer madison@vms.ecs.rpi.edu Eng. Computing Services, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180-3590 "Please do not press this button again."