terry@spcvxb.spc.edu (Terry Kennedy, Operations Mgr.) (06/27/91)
In article <81349@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, kalisiak@acsu.buffalo.edu (christophe m kalisiak) writes: > Boy have I got news for everyone who told me not to buy a DEQNA because I > would not be able to use it unless I stuck with V5.3 for ever! [Note: this is a revised version of my original article, edited to be less strident and to correct problems with my newsreader which caused my original reply to be mis-titled.] I didn't say V5.3 forever - I said support was being dropped in the near future. I refer you to page 4 of "Cover Letter for VMS Version 5.4", DEC part number AV-EF56K-TE, which states: "DECnet-VAX Device Support Information Over the next 6 to 12 months, VMS, DECnet-VAX, avd VAXcluster software support for the DEQNA Ethernet adapter will be withdrawn. For 24 months after that, the DEQNA adapter will be accessible only by user applica- tions that use the $QIO interface to the Q-bus Ethernet device driver (XQDRIVER). During that time, when the XQDRIVER recognizes the device as a DEQNA adapter, a console message will be printed specifying that the DEQNA adapter is an unsupported device. However, these user applications will continue to work. At the end of the 24-month period, the DEQNA Ethernet adapter will no longer be accessible. Digital recommends that customer implementations that use the DEQNA ad- apter upgrade as soon as possible to either the DELQA or DESQA adapter, whichever is appropriate for the system. Customer upgrade options cur- rently are available from DECdirect. Contact your local Digital sales office for more information." This text is repeated in "Cover Letter for DECnet-VAXtm Version 5.4", DEC part number AV-DL04J-TE. The date of the BOM (Bill of Materials) for my V5.4 kit is 26-Jul-90, so as they say: REPENT, FOR THE END IS NEAR!!! If you have 12 months from then, you'd better make plans soon. Of course, if you want to stay with VMS V5.<whatever-the-last-version-supporting-the-DEQNA-is>, you're all set. However, unrelated problems can make an upgrade unexpectedly necess- ary, so it's best to be prepared (and have that DELQA handy). This is especially true as DEC's trade-in program is scheduled to end at the end of this month. Terry Kennedy Operations Manager, Academic Computing terry@spcvxa.bitnet St. Peter's College, US terry@spcvxa.spc.edu (201) 915-9381