cks@white.toronto.edu (Chris Siebenmann) (04/21/89)
We're currently putting together a request for some Decstation 3100s,
and I'd obviously like us to wind up with usable systems. Given the
current string of messages bashing various configurations of the
machine, I'm getting a bit nervous. So, I'd like to ask everyone with
Decstation 3100's some questions:
1. How much memory does one realistically need to do C programming and
run X11R3? Is 8M enough?
2. How much local disk space is needed? Our current plans are to get
the 100M disks for swap, /, and /usr, and use our existing
Vaxserver 3600 for user files and such -- is this silly or
unrealistic? How large is a standard Decstation /usr under Ultrix
3.0?
3. We currently don't plan to get tape drives for them; instead, we'd
bring them up as diskless clients from the Vaxserver. Is this
possible? How much transient disk space will we need?
4. Will there be any problems hooking them into our existing setup of
Vaxstations (beyond the obvious one with binaries)?
5. Roughly how much bigger than Vax binaries are the MIPS ones? (so I
know how much space to allocate for MIPS versions of our local
software).
I'd also like to hear stories (good AND bad) about your experiences
with Decstation 3100s; what you've found great, what you've found
braindead, etc. I'll post a summary of information I get.
Thanks in advance from a sysadmin wondering just how much work he's
getting into.
--
"I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world."
Number Ten Ox, "Bridge of Birds"
Chris Siebenmann ...!utgpu!{ncrcan,ontmoh!moore}!ziebmef!cks
cks@white.toronto.edu or ...!utgpu!{,csri!}ckstreese@crl.dec.com (Win Treese) (04/22/89)
In article <89Apr20.175844edt.30755@snow.white.toronto.edu>, cks@white.toronto.edu (Chris Siebenmann) writes: > > We're currently putting together a request for some Decstation 3100s, > and I'd obviously like us to wind up with usable systems. Given the > current string of messages bashing various configurations of the > machine, I'm getting a bit nervous. So, I'd like to ask everyone with > Decstation 3100's some questions: > > 1. How much memory does one realistically need to do C programming and > run X11R3? Is 8M enough? 16 Meg is more like it. 8 Meg *might* be somewhere bordering on just barely tolerable if you're running X11R3; it's not enough with DECwindows. > 2. How much local disk space is needed? Our current plans are to get > the 100M disks for swap, /, and /usr, and use our existing > Vaxserver 3600 for user files and such -- is this silly or > unrealistic? How large is a standard Decstation /usr under Ultrix > 3.0? The 100 Meg disks aren't supported as system disks, so you'd need to do some work to put together the configuration you describe. If you don't mind some performance degradation, I'd recommend putting /usr and user files on the 3600, and treating the DS3100s as diskless-except-for-swapping. You might also put /tmp on the local disk. The RZ55 disks are quite nice, but you start to run into a management nightmare. My /usr right now is ~150 Meg. That has almost everything from the supported kit, the useful stuff from the unsupported kit, and some random local software. Both DECwindows and X11R3 are installed. > 3. We currently don't plan to get tape drives for them; instead, we'd > bring them up as diskless clients from the Vaxserver. Is this > possible? How much transient disk space will we need? No problem. Figure ~14 Meg per client of root filesystem space. > 4. Will there be any problems hooking them into our existing setup of > Vaxstations (beyond the obvious one with binaries)? It should be very smooth, if you're running Ultrix 3.0 on the VAX. It's essentially the same Ultrix, and the software interoperates properly. > 5. Roughly how much bigger than Vax binaries are the MIPS ones? (so I > know how much space to allocate for MIPS versions of our local > software). Average seems to be around 75% larger for the MIPS binaries. > I'd also like to hear stories (good AND bad) about your experiences > with Decstation 3100s; what you've found great, what you've found > braindead, etc. I'll post a summary of information I get. We've had very little difficulty in the transition, and they're fun machines to use. And in case anyone is wondering, we didn't have to call "wizards" from elsewhere in Digital to fix anything -- all have been installed locally with reasonably standard configurations. > Thanks in advance from a sysadmin wondering just how much work he's > getting into. > Win Treese Cambridge Research Lab treese@crl.dec.com Digital Equipment Corp.