[Simh] Deathrow OpenVMS SIMH Node.. Hosted by OpenVMS?

[Villy Madsen]

Is that it simulated 18.9 VUPS ??  it must be, because I get about 7 VUPs on my ancient 1.5ghz P4  & about 14VUPS on a 2.8ghz celeron...



Villy



----- Original Message -----

From: "Hittner, David T (IT)" <david.hittner at ngc.com>

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 12:00

Subject: Re: [Simh] Deathrow OpenVMS SIMH Node.. Hosted by OpenVMS?

To: Bill Korendyk <bill at korendyk.net>

Cc: simh at trailing-edge.com



> I'm not ruling out OpenVMS as a SIMH VAX platform. Far from it. 

> Use it

> if you want to.

> 

> Simulation of another CPU eats an astonishing number of host CPU 

> cyclesto perform the simulation work. 

> 

> I'm trying to set your (and other's) expectation level, based on my

> simulation experiences. Context is important here - maybe it's 

> because I

> already have some real VAXes, but I don't WANT another "smaller"

> MicroVAX in my cluster. I already have a physical MicroVAX 

> 4000/VLC in

> my cluster, and to be frank, it's performance sucks at 5.8 VUPS,

> particularly when compared to my physical MicroVAX 4000-500 at 

> 22 VUPS.

> 

> When I ran a SIMH VAX on my Alpha PWS 500au (which runs at 155 

> VUPS), I

> get 1.1 VUPS on the SIMH VAX. For comparison, when I ran the 

> SIMH VAX on

> my 3.0 GHz PC, it simulated 1.89 VUPS.

> 

> If you have newer iron like the multi-issue Alpha ESxx/GSxx 

> servers (or

> even a DS10!!) just sitting around that you can run simulations 

> on, go

> for it. If you are looking at _purchasing_ a low-cost platform 

> for home

> use to run VAX software, I'm merely suggesting that you might 

> want to

> take the cheaper path to Hobbyist VAX performance, which is a 

> fast PC

> running SIMH VAX - or many times, just a used VAX.

> 

> I'd be happy to look at your Alpha-based SIMH VAX VUPS numbers for

> comparison with mine; maybe my measuring and estimating sucks. :-))

> 

> FWIW, my low-end HP Integrity rx2620 [at work] running OpenVMS 

> clocks in

> at 533 VUPS. I've never tried running SIMH it, but I'm sure it 

> would be

> much better than the Alpha (at 155 VUPS); but then again, just 

> try to

> buy an rx2620 on Ebay ... $$$. The semi-affordable, semi-supported

> rx2600 is pretty reasonable on Ebay at $300-$2500, but is _much_ 

> slowerthan the rx2620.

> 

> Dave

> 

> > -----Original Message-----

> 

> > From: Bill Korendyk [mailto:bill at korendyk.net] 

> > Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 12:14 PM

> > To: Hittner, David T (IS); simh at trailing-edge.com

> > Subject: RE: [Simh] Deathrow OpenVMS SIMH Node.. Hosted by OpenVMS?

> > 

> > Hi Dave,

> > 

> > Thanks for your response.

> > 

> > On Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:13:06 -0500 "Hittner, David T (IT)" 

> > <david.hittner at ngc.com> wrote:

> > > Bill,

> > > 

> > > The reason you don't see any networking under OpenVMS Alpha 

> > is likely 

> > > because you didn't install the VMS PCAP Execlet. I didn't 

> see any 

> > > reference to you doing so in the message below.

> > 

> > I believe the Execlet was installed; if I recall correctly, 

> > the behaviour and errors were very different before it was 

> installed.> I'll check the next time I have a chance to work on 

> this. In 

> > the meantime, additional hints are welcome ;-)

> > 

> > > Regarding running SIMH VAX on OpenVMS Alpha: that would be a 

> gross 

> > > waste of the Alpha unless it had absolutely nothing else to 

> do. The 

> > > performance of SIMH on a recent PC will decimate SIMH 

> > performance on 

> > > OpenVMS Alpha. Same for any Itegrity machines that you or I 

> > can afford.

> > > :-)

> > 

> > Hmm. I fear he doth exaggerate slightly :-)

> > 

> > > All Alphas were excellent then, but the lower-end ones are 

> somewhat 

> > > slow now compared to high-end PCs. Higher-end 

> > Alpha/Integrity machines 

> > > might perform better, but still - SIMH really chews up 

> > single-stream 

> > > CPU cycles, and a PC is much cheaper.

> > 

> > Yes, newer boxes are faster (and cheaper). But I already have 

> > the Alpha and wanted to avoid building and configuring (yet) 

> > another box needing care and attention, and adding to the 

> power bill.

> > And since my "old" PCs are "really" old, buying a new PC for 

> > this task seemed silly with a perfectly good Alpha to use. 

> > SimH/VAX works fine (albeit off the network) and my 

> > benchmarks show it running as well as a smaller MicroVAX. 

> > 

> > So I find the SimH/VAX hosted on OpenVMS is adequate, 

> > especially for a hobbyist environment. Saves time and money, 

> > runs solid, responds well, and the process (unless very 

> > CPU-intensive) is barely noticed (i.e. buried in all the 

> > other activity) on my lowly DS10 ;-)  I'd sure like to 

> try it 

> > on an Integrity...

> > 

> > So, let's not offhand rule out OpenVMS as a SimH host shall we 

> :-)

> > 

> > \bill

> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> >      Bill 

> Korendyk      Bill at korendyk.net    "Just call me Bill."

> > ---------------------------------------------------------------

> -----

> >          "Where 

> am I going... and why am I in a handbasket?"

> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > 

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