hamm@BIOVAX.RUTGERS.EDU (01/19/88)
I recently received my first two VAXstation 2000's, which I eventually
intend to run in an LAVC. However, due to network performance considerations,
my plan was to run them as standalone VMS systems first (on local RD54's)
until some changes are made in our network.
The only problem with this plan was that I'd have to add a (later useless)
TK50 or similar device to each of the VAXstations (or buy one and move it
around) in order to get VMS onto the things in the first place. But then
I found the following in the Systems & Options Catalog (page III.3):
"A standalone VMS system without removable media (TK50 or RX50)
must be connected to a network that has another VMS system
running RSM V1.1 to support downline loading of the operating
system."
There are several things wrong with this:
1. I received RSM 1.0, not 1.1, and 1.0 doesn't support VS2000's.
2. RSM 1.1 died in beta-test, it was too terrible to distribute,
and will never be revived. Supposedly the developers have
been replaced with others, and RSM 2.0 is a major re-design.
(Supposedly 2.0 will be out within a month or so.)
3. RSM works like this: first you futz around with one (or more)
u-vax system(s), getting VMS and other products installed the way
you want. Then you tell RSM on the server to snapshot the
configuration(s), and build a database. *Thereafter*, you can
initial downline load *further* systems from scratch, or modify the
existing systems. But note that you have to have at least one
system already up and running before you can get anywhere. There
is at present *no way* to bootstrap this from the server at all, so
RSM is only an alternative (assuming it eventually supports VS2000s)
if at least one uvax of some some description either has removable
media or is part of an LAVC.
Top this off with the fact that my salesman assured me that the client
software (which I licensed) was included in the server H-kit (made sense,
since I was downline loading everything) - which it is not; the client
software has its own SPD, manual, and distribution. Needless to say, this
has been a bit frustrating, especially since I get to use my shiny new VS2000
as a paper weight for awhile.
I hope this saves someone else some time.
Greg
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Gregory H. Hamm || Phone: (201)932-4864
Director, Molecular Biology Computing Lab ||
Waksman Institute/CABM || BITNET: hamm@biovax
P.O. Box 759, Rutgers University || ARPA: hamm@biovax.rutgers.edu
Piscataway, NJ 08854 * USA ||
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