IBM 4381

From: Enrico Badella <enrico.badella_at_softstar.it>
Date: Wed Nov 17 02:49:15 1999

Hello all,

I have the opportunity to save an IBM 4381 with lots of disks and tapes; it
is currently running VM ESA 2.1 and also has two 8232 Ethernet units. With
a friend we would like to acquire it and put it on Internet with free accounts
to requesters.

As you probably know this machine is quite big so I started lobbying my
University for space, that would also get power supply and 34Mbit internet
connection ;-). The size it prohibitively big for a a single hobbyist but
also in the campus floor space it is not free; I must come up with a
minimum space requirement for a working system.

I don't have any in field experience with IBM mainframe internals and have
considered this configuration

        - CPU one processor
        - 3420 tape
        - 8232 Ethernet controller
        - 3990 control Unit
        - 1 disk string (3 disks or less but need work on the cabinet to
          separate the disk subsystems)

My questions are:

        - not planning to use SNA or 3270, at least initially, do we need
          to set up the 3745 FEP?
        - is the above configuration reasonable for a minimum system?
        - tightly packing all the devices to fit in a 15 square meter room
          will cause heating or other problems?
        - how may would be interested in accessing the machine?
        - anybody willing to offer knowledge? IBM was not very helpfully
          to put it kindly.

If you are interested in some way please email me at save4381_at_softstar.it. I
have set up this specific account in order to collect, hopefully, lots
of emails telling to save the machine. I will pass them to the person
responsible for the floor space trying to convince him that we MUST do it.

Cheers

e.

========================================================================
Enrico Badella email: enrico.badella_at_softstar.it
Soft*Star srl eb_at_vax.cnuce.cnr.it
InterNetworking Specialists tel: +39-011-746092
Via Camburzano 9 fax: +39-011-746487
10143 Torino, Italy

  Wanted, for hobbyist use, any type of PDP and microVAX hardware,software,
  manuals,schematics,etc. and DEC-10 docs or manuals
==========================================================================
Received on Wed Nov 17 1999 - 02:49:15 GMT