----- Original Message -----
From: "Eric Smith" <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2000 5:18 AM
Subject: Re: AS/400?
> "Geoff Roberts" <geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au> wrote:
> > Anyone out there know anything about IBM AS/400's?
> [...]
> > I picked up a Type 9402-2xx with 4 x Type 0662 1.05Gb SCSI Hard
drives
> There'll be a list of all the 9402 series. You presumably want
> 9402-200, unless what you have is a 9402-236 or 9402-20S
Good question. The model number on the sticker at the base of the black
front plastic
shroud is given literally as "Type 9402-2xx" with "xxx" not numbers
after the 2.
The S/N is 10-1428A does that help at all?
The drives are apparently SCSI-2 with the Honda mini connectors not the
standard
SCSI bare pins (like oversize ide), they are what you find on the back
of Decstations
and the like. Never seen one on a drive before.
The drives have dates from 94 or later. Front label suggests it came
with 2 from the
factory, so it would seem the others were added later.
> Note that since your machine is CISC-based,
Er actually, this is a circa 1994 machine, with the black plastic
shroud/case over the
metal cabinet, and I was informed elsewhere that this indicates a RISC
machine....
Is there an easy way to confirm this?
The docs on the IBM site prove it to be a "Version 3 AS/400 Advanced
System",
(the badge on the front says AS/400 Advanced) which I would have bet
meant RISC machine.
Is there a simple way to tell?
> and software licenses are NOT transferrable, so you
> will have to buy an OS/400 license from IBM. We're talking really big
> bucks. :-(
>
Like for VMS before hobbyist licenses sorta. Yeah.
> Also, if you ever have to reinstall the software from scratch, you
will
> need a MULIC (Model-Unique Licensed Internal Code) tape. If at all
> possible, try to get this from the seller.
Ex auction, if I ever get the beast up and running, I can probably trace
the owner.
> Also, under certain circumstances the computer will as for a system
> password at IPL time. If you don't have a system password, you will
> be given the opportunity to use the system for up to 70 days (IIRC),
> after which time you will no longer be able to IPL. I'm told that if
> the system is powered off for a long time, that's one of the
conditions
> that will cause it to ask for a system password. If you need a system
> password, you'll have to pay big bucks to IBM.
>
> Because of these problems, I'd strongly recommend that anyone
interested
> in acquiring an AS/400 try to get a newer RISC-based model instead.
With
> the RISC-based models, the software licenses are transferrable.
So this is only an issue on the CISC versions I take it?
> I have a 9406-B45 and another 9406 which I have not yet identified.
> I've put some links at:
>
> http://www.brouhaha.com/~eric/retrocomputing/ibm/as400/
Didn't help much. The Mid Blue list looks interesting, but the features
in this box
don't seem to be listed there. If the stuff it refers to are for the
earlier CISC boxes,
and IF this is a RISC machine, that would be why I guess.
I'm actually starting to wonder if this is actually an AS/400 or whether
it's an expansion
box for one. I've yet to identify a CPU anywhere, and some of the stuff
I read suggests it's
a plug in module. That might mean we have a disk/tape controller, and
IOP to communicate with
the rest of the system, and some access/control modules. OTOH, I don't
know if this version of the
AS/400 made use of expansion boxes like the earlier ones.
Cheers
Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Mark's College
Port Pirie,
South Australia
geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au
netcafe_at_tell.net.au
ICQ: 1970476
Received on Tue Aug 08 2000 - 23:25:06 BST