Mainframe stuff...

From: Huw Davies <Huw.Davies_at_kerberos.davies.net.au>
Date: Wed Sep 19 21:46:51 2001

At 11:56 PM 19/09/2001 +0200, jkunz_at_unixag-kl.fh-kl.de wrote:

>So I assume the "base" machine is the 8550. In a biger chasiss it is
>named 8700 and with a second CPU the 8700 is called 8800?

As far as I recall, the first two products were the 8700 and the 8800, the
only difference was the number of CPUs (one and two respectively). There
were two slower implementations (8550, 8530) that were both single CPU
systems. All of these systems used either a PRO-350 or PRO-380 as the
VAXconsole. Later (when all the PROs were used up?) the console was
replaced with a uVAX-II and the systems renamed 88x0 (for x=1,2,3 or 4 CPUs).

In a past life I used to manage a cluster that had (originally) a 11/785,
8700 and 8800. After a while we removed the 11/785 from maintenance and
about a week later it died. This lead to a period where I did maintenance
myself, leading to the acquisition of an 8650, 11/785, 11/780, two 8800s
and an 8820. Eventually the cluster grew to two 8800s (under Digital
maintenance), two 8800s and the 8820 (under Huw maintenance). I can tell
you now that 8800s are great when they run and real horrors when they fail....

I can also confirm that 8800s and 8820s have different modules inside, such
that you can't upgrade an 8820 to an 8840 using an 8800 :-(

Huw Davies | e-mail: Huw.Davies_at_kerberos.davies.net.au
                      | "If God had wanted soccer played in the
                      | air, the sky would be painted green"
Received on Wed Sep 19 2001 - 21:46:51 BST