[Simh] Infoserver software

[Shoppa, Tim]

Brian writes:
> On Fri, 2011-10-07 at 09:47 -0600, Bruce Claremont wrote:
>> Why not use SimH VAX as the disk server?  Simpler.
>> 
> Yeah, that would be the obvious way to go, especially if I start having
> hardware trouble.  I was mostly hoping for something a little lighter in
> terms of resources on my linux rather than running a full vms stack +
> clustering.
> Plus, who doesn't enjoy a challenge?

Fundamentally a well-configured VAXcluster is only an incremental
effort over administering a single VAX. Symmetry is your friend -
each additional node is just a tiny cookie-cutter effort. 

MSCP disk service to a share a disk over the network in a cluster
is very efficient and completely transparent to an application.

And when it comes to tape sharing in a cluster, it's way cool to
use an emulated VAX to talk to a tape drive hanging off a real VAX.
Or to talk to an emulated tape drive on a SIMH instance from a real VAX.

I remember the first time I saw a VS2000 clustered to the departmental
11/780's. I was astonished that I could share every disk and tape over
nothing but a skinny piece of RG-58 Ethernet coax. It was such a mind-blowing
revelation compared to wrestling with Massbus cables.

Tim.