info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (06/14/85)
From: ANDERER <anderer%udel-cc-vax1.delaware@UDEL-LOUIE.ARPA> We've got a 780 running VMS, and are thinking about installing a MicroVAX II a couple miles away. It would also run VMS. We'd want to link the machines together. DECNET was my first thought, but I've "heard" you can't run that on the MicroVAX. True? If it is true, what are our alternatives? If it's not true, what would we need in terms of additional VAX hardware for DECNET? What kind of connection would be required? Could we get away with just a 9600 baud (we're not talking a lot of data here) sync line? Even if DECNET is available, is it the best way to transfer data and do remote logins between 2 VMS machines? Thanks in advance.
info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (06/14/85)
From: Richard Garland <OC.GARLAND@CU20B.ARPA> 780 <--> microVAX-II Certainly DECnet is available and works. They had a zillion microVIXen at DECUS all DECnetted together. It is in my opinion the best way to connect VMS machines. As for connecting them, cheapest would be an asynch line. Just any port will do although I would tend towards a DMF32 on the 780 to avoid the character overhead. I don't know if DEC sells a Q-bus DMA asynch board, but third party vendors do. Otherwise just use the regular DZ-type thing on the micro VAX. In any case you will have the DDCMP (DECnet protocol) overhead on both machines. Next up the ladder would be a synch line - but once again I don't know of any Q-bus versions of these but there probably are some multi-drop things that runs on pdp-11's. Last and best is ethernet. The distance is too great for conventional connections but there was lots of talk at DECUS about repeaters and bridges. repeaters will stretch 1000 m (is that enough? only .6 miles) with an optical fiber. Bridges are not announced yet but I have heard rumors they will be shortly. They are similar to repeaters but work at the packet level (link- level) and in principal have no distance constraints since they are store-and-forward devices. (there was one working over a satelite last DECUS (Anaheim)). Both repeaters and bridges should be transparent to the software i.e. they will pass any protocol such as DECnet. Ethernet will give you the added bonus of being able to add terminal servers which could talk to either VAX without impacting the one not being logged into (i.e. no DECnet SET HOST overhead). Rg -------
kotter@muscat.UUCP (Rich Kotter) (06/15/85)
You can do this with a DMV11-AP synchronous interface ($2200) and a DECnet license, End Node ($630) or Full Function ($1950) plus documentation and media kit ($450 or $500, respectively). This will allow you to communicate with a DMR11 or the synchronous port of a DMF32 over phone lines. Rich Kotter 503-245-1341 -- # remove this line - this signature is appended to any news you post # My Name DEC Western Region Operations decwrl!zinfan!username decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-wer521!username WER521::USERNAME
kotter@muscat.UUCP (Rich Kotter) (06/15/85)
Now I have corrected my .signature file (I'm quite new at this) -- Rich Kotter DEC Portland Oregon decwrl!muscat!kotter