[comp.sys.dec] Nemonix upgrade to VAX 8600

carrato@mhinfo.UUCP ( tony carrato) (05/24/89)

Has anyone had any experience with a Nemonix upgrade to a VAX 8600?   Things
I'd like to find out about would be:

1) What performance increase did you really see?

2) Who did the installation?

3) Who is doing maintenance on the upgrade (and on the whole system)?  Is
the maintenance expensive?

4) Have there been any problems?

Please send e-mail back to me - I'll summarize back onto the net.

Tony Carrato

seb022@tijc02.UUCP (Scott Bemis ) (05/25/89)

> Has anyone had any experience with a Nemonix upgrade to a VAX 8600?  

Yes, a fellow colleague upgraded "his VAX 8600" with a Nemonix.  Since
he is on his honeymoon, I will respond for him now.   To get more detailed
information from him, please contact him after Wednesday, May 31. He
will have returned from his honeymoon and will probably be in a good mood
to answer any questions.  

His name, telephone, e-mail address is:
	
	   	Calvin  Hayden
		 phone:  (615) 461-2254
		 e-mail:  mcnc!rti!tijc02!root

> 1) What performance increase did you really see?

	About 35 percent increase in Dhrystone benchmarks and
	actual real work,  Calvin Hayden can give you additional
	details (what version of the Dhyrstone benchmarks,  how much
	faster large compilations ran.  As a side note, this VAX
	8600 + Nemonix is used almost entirely for software development).
	This VAX 8600 + Nemonix is using the AT&T UNIX V Release 2
	Version 2 operating system.

> 2) Who did the installation?

	Grumman from what I can tell. Please contact Calvin Hayden for
	more exact details. He was here on the weekend 
	with the installation personnel

> 3) Who is doing maintenance on the upgrade (and on the whole system)?  Is
the maintenance expensive?

	DEC Field Service will take over maintenance (after the 30 day
	warranty from Nemonix expires).   All the DEC VAX computers
	at my employer are on DEC Field Service maintenance.

	How expensive? Calvin would know the exact amount.


> 4) Have there been any problems?

	First, the Nemonix accelerator has been running since Saturday,
	May 13, 1989.  My comments are based upon how it has run for
	about two weeks.  

	There was a problem with making sure all the boards in the 
	VAX were at a certain rev. level.   It took two separate
	weekends to get this installation completely successfully.
	They did not have all the boards at the correct rev. level
	so the installation did not work during the first weekend.
	Calvin was a bit frustrated at this incident.  He had the 
	opportunity to come in a second weekend to complete the
	installation.  From what he said, everything went very smooth
	during the second weekend.  He was slightly amazed (he, like
	myself, is becoming one of those paranoid system administator 
	types).

	There has to be a minor operating system change (to adjust for
	the higher speed clock).  If this change is not made, the time
	on the computer goes too fast or too slow. For examples, the computer
	"thinks" it is 2:00 P.M. when it is actually 3:00 P.M. after running
	for several days.  This change was not difficult. 
	
	In my own opinion, this has been so far the smoothest change I have
	seen.  I use to be the system administrator for this VAX 8600
	and I had worse problems (like trying to add 16 more megabytes
	of memory).  It took a month (turned out to be a problem with
	operating system).  And I only hope it remains this smooth.  I
	am covering for Calvin while he is on his honeymoon.

Scott Bemis
Texas Instruments
P. O. Drawer 1255, M/S 3517
Johnson City, Tennessee  37605, U.S.A.
telephone:  (615) 461-2959
e-mail:  mcnc!rti!tijc02!seb022