[Simh] VAX 780 as a boot server

[Ethan Dicks]

On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 5:32 PM, Robert Jarratt
<robert.jarratt at ntlworld.com> wrote:
> Yes indeed, the ultimate aim is to get a version of VMS running on a
> MicroVAX II which is currently fitted with a DEQNA.

Nice.  That's something I haven't been able to get together myself
(lacking a DEQNA, mostly).

> The MicroVAX II has an RD53 in it but I am not sure it works.

Odd are not.  Among other things, the rubber head stop bumper turns to
goo and glues the positioner down.  It can be freed by opening the lid
and manually prying it loose, but that's not exactly nice to the
drive.

> I have no other machine to put the RD53 into...

If you have an RQDX3 in the uVAXII and you have or can borrow a
MicroVAX or VAXstation 2000, the uVAX2K/VS2K can read and write and
even format your RD53.

> and no other disks I can put into the MicroVAX II (as far as I know).

I don't know the exact list of what works on an RQDX1 or RQDX2 off the
top of my head (nor how to format for them), but for an RQDX3, you can
use a wide variety of drives (RD32 == Seagate ST225, RD33 == Seagate
ST251-2, RD53 == Micropolis 1335, RD54 == Maxtor XT2190) as long as
you can locate a _Field Service_ diagnostic tape (not the _Customer_
diagnostic tape).  There's also the option of formatting those same
disks in a uVAX2K/VS2K.


>
>
> I was told that the 3900 would not run versions earlier than 5.1, but I have
> just tried it with 4.6, it boots OK and I should be able to get it to 4.7,
> so perhaps that will do. I don’t have media for 5.0 through to 5.3. I have
> media for 5.4 and, after a few initial difficulties with the media, I am now
> in the process of installing it, but it is also my understanding that 5.4
> has limited support for DEQNA. We shall see.
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Rob
>
>
>
> From: simh-bounces at trailing-edge.com [mailto:simh-bounces at trailing-edge.com]
> On Behalf Of Stephen Hoffman
> Sent: 08 April 2009 18:42
> To: simh at trailing-edge.com
> Subject: Re: [Simh] VAX 780 as a boot server
>
>
>
> Robert Jarratt writes:
>
>
>
> I want to try using the SIMH VAX 780 as a boot server. I can't use the 3900
> simulation as that needs a version of VMS that is too new (I need a version
> prior to 5.4, and only have up to 4.7).
>
>
>
> I'm not working with Mr Jarratt here, but based on the postings and
> discussions I've noticed scattered around so far, this is an attempt to
> transfer MicroVMS V4.1M over onto a MicroVAX II KA630 box, and boot it.
>  MicroVMS V4.1M being the first release with support for the MicroVAX II box
> and the KA630 processor.
>
>
>
> Satellite or diskless or InfoServer boot probably won't help here as AFAIK
> none of this stuff was particularly ironed out and available until rather
> after V4.1M.  Clustering didn't get going until the later releases in V4
> range and into the V5 range.
>
>
>
> The usual load device for the MicroVAX II was floppy disk or TK50 or
> RRD50-series CD-ROM.   Forty or fifty some RX50 floppies, IIRC, for the full
> kit.
>
>
>
> The usual hard disk was the RD52 via RQDX2, or (somewhat more rarely) RC25
> via KLESI.
>
>
>
> With a spare RD disk or swapped RD disk, the system could be gotten to boot
> a (far) more recent version of OpenVMS VAX via InfoServer (present in V8.2-1
> and later) or via some other swappable media (TK or TF or disk), and that
> newer release could be used to restore V4.1M onto an RD52 or RC25.  Or move
> the RQDX2 or KLESI forward to a newer Q-bus box, and load the RD52 or RC25
> with V4.1M there.
>
>
>
> As for the "too new" question, creating a MicroVAX 3500 KA650 should be a
> straightforward tweak in simh from the current MicroVAX 3900 (KA655), and
> the former boots on V4.7A and later.  But I don't know that this approach or
> the use of InfoServer or such is going to be effective here.  But I'd
> definitely try InfoServer here before I tried the other sequences here.  The
> next approach would be a completely satellite diskless boot of some
> V5-vintage OpenVMS VAX (that's new enough to work and be available, and old
> enough to accept the DEQNA; that's V
>
> 5.4-3 or earlier
>
> ) or temporarily swap the DEQNA for a DELQA or such, and then mount the disk
> remotely and BACKUP /IMAGE V4.1M down to the RD52 disk (and then swap back
> the DEQNA).
>
>
>
>
>
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