ciotti@nas.nasa.gov (Robert B. Ciotti) (04/04/91)
Is anyone using HPPI interfaces for networked peripherals or thinking of doing this? What other things are people using them for? Bob -------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert B. Ciotti HSP Systems Development Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation N258-5 (415) 604-4408 NASA Ames Research Center ciotti@orville.nas.nasa.gov Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000 --------------------------------------------------------------------
gary@chpc.utexas.edu (Gary Smith) (04/05/91)
In article <1991Apr4.022904.11142@nas.nasa.gov>, ciotti@nas.nasa.gov (Robert B. Ciotti) writes: |> Is anyone using HPPI interfaces for networked peripherals or thinking |> of doing this? What other things are people using them for? |> |> Bob |> -------------------------------------------------------------------- |> Robert B. Ciotti HSP Systems Development |> Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation N258-5 (415) 604-4408 |> NASA Ames Research Center ciotti@orville.nas.nasa.gov |> Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000 |> -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob, I've had numerous internal (and with Ultra, NSC, Maximum Strategy, etc.) conversations regarding such an idea over the past two years. We (system programming group) implemented "networked mass storage" for Cyber systems two decades ago at UT Austin. Of course, the "network" was quite homogeneous and the LAN rather hefty: Cyber systems only communicating via ECS. ONE of the minor problems with the "heterogeneous networked peripherals" idea is the lack of stan- dard data formats, not to mention other "minor" problems such as little vs big endian byte ordering, etc. UNICOS inodes don't look much like SunOS inodes. Even if they did, CRAY floating point num- bers ain't very IEEE, etc. Just use XDR some say. Just let the receiver make it right say others. Of course I'm still talking about problems at a rather "high level." There simply isn't time here to visit some of the lower level problems, such as specific function code/timing sequences, etc. You get the idea. Networked peripherals in the sense that many folks want them are HARD TO DO. -- Gary Smith <gary@chpc.utexas.edu> Systems Group, Center for High Performance Computing The University of Texas System Commons Building 1.151C, Balcones Research Center 10100 Burnet Road Austin, TX 78758 (512) 471-2411