neal@druhi.att.com (XGPB30000-McBurnettND(DR9225)289) (09/12/90)
Does anyone have any experience with running a lot of X or NeWS clients on a Unix mainframe? Given the way that per-character interrupts in programs like vi or emacs tend to degrade performance, I wonder what window systems are like. It would seem that NeWS would be better suited to migrating functionality down to the server - have people done that with editors? -Neal McBurnett // AT&T Bell Labs, Denver // neal@druhi.ATT.COM, att!druhi!neal
bsp@uts.amdahl.com (Bill Pieterouiski) (09/12/90)
In article <6102@drutx.ATT.COM> neal@druhi.ATT.COM (Neal D. McBurnett) writes: >Does anyone have any experience with running a lot of X or NeWS clients >on a Unix mainframe? Given the way that per-character interrupts in >programs like vi or emacs tend to degrade performance, I wonder what >window systems are like. > >It would seem that NeWS would be better suited to migrating functionality >down to the server - have people done that with editors? > Yup! Here at Amdahl we're running X11 on our two main development domains. (1 domain = 1/4 mainframe) I'm not sure what you mean by 'lot of clients', though. In our case, we have two domains with over 300 simultaneous users, each! Our user community consists of 46 X-terminals (NCD 19 and NCD19c), lots of Sun workstations, and a few Solbourne workstations. All using X11. Plus a LOT of dumb terminals! We've got 180 workstations and X-stations on the network, with both domains on the same network. The network also supports a few Macintoshes. All this on one wire! Obviously, this network configuration is far from optimum! The results are very good. The network is the weak link, of course. The mainframes can handle the load with ease, and do. Response time is very good, unless one of the domains dies and all 400 users migrate to the remaining domain. Then, the CPU gets bogged down. But the same goes for non-X users. We run Emacs and vi, no problem. I/O is a mainframes strong point. It's odd to see the cursor pause, when the user load is very high, then a blast of output comes to the screen so fast if you blink you'll miss it. The only significant performance hits are clients like 'ico' that cause tons of network traffic. The application works fairly well, but other network users lose a little response. Once again, the network is critical. We don't use NeWS, or the faster X11R4 yet. Response time due to using X hasn't been a problem. Ask me again in a couple months. We'll be adding over 50 X-terminals to this same network! Any more questions? Please ask! -- ...!{ames,decwrl,uunet,sun}!amdahl!bsp - or - bsp@amdahl.com Bill Pieterouiski UTS User Interface Development Amdahl Corp. o16, Santa Clara CA
emv@math.lsa.umich.edu (Edward Vielmetti) (09/13/90)
In article <0dme02Nac8PU01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> bsp@uts.amdahl.com (Bill Pieterouiski) writes:
The results are very good. The network is the weak link, of course. The
mainframes can handle the load with ease, and do. Response time is very
good, unless one of the domains dies and all 400 users migrate to the
remaining domain. Then, the CPU gets bogged down. But the same goes for
non-X users.
What kind of a network interface do you have to your Amdahl? I wouldn't
be surprised to see that as the weakest link in the whole scheme, esp.
if you're relying on ethernet speeds.
--Ed
Edward Vielmetti, U of Michigan math dept <emv@math.lsa.umich.edu>matt@locus.com (matt) (09/13/90)
I have been running AIX X windows on a 3090 200 running AIX version
1.2. I am using a TCF clustered PS/2 model 80 as the host and am
running all of the clients on the 370. I have seen better performance
with X with this setup than in other environments. I am also currently
reading news on the 370 in an X window and editing this reply in
another. If you have any specific questions about this setup please
reply directly to me. If there is sufficient interest I will post
the questions and replys.
Matt
(213)337-5900
matt@locus.com
lcc!matt@seas.ucla.edu
{randvax,ucbvax}!ucla-se!lcc!mattarnold@audiofax.com (Arnold Robbins) (09/14/90)
In article <6102@drutx.ATT.COM> neal@druhi.ATT.COM (Neal D. McBurnett) writes: >It would seem that NeWS would be better suited to migrating functionality >down to the server - have people done that with editors? Goodness gracious, how quickly people forget. Take a look at the Research Editions of Unix, V8 - V10. In particular, all the stuff with the Blit the 5620, and these days the gnot; e.g. the text editor 'sam' which runs the user interface stuff in the terminal and the file manipulation stuff on the host. -- Arnold Robbins AudioFAX, Inc. | Laundry increases 2000 Powers Ferry Road, #200 / Marietta, GA. 30067 | exponentially in the INTERNET: arnold@audiofax.com Phone: +1 404 933 7600 | number of children. UUCP: emory!audfax!arnold Fax-box: +1 404 618 4581 | -- Miriam Robbins