[Simh] DECserver (terminal server) emulation?

[Mark Pizzolato]

On Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at 5:35 PM, Jim Carpenter wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 11, 2017 at 1:05 PM, Mark Pizzolato <Mark at infocomm.com>
> wrote:
> > On Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at 9:00 AM, Paul Koning wrote:
> >> Emulating a real server is probably harder.
> >
> > Well, maybe....  From my vague recollection, the DECServer 500 is a PDP11
> > system with Qbus serial and networking cards.  It might be a mere
> > configuration exercise to get there (or almost there).
> >
> >> It all depends on what the goal is.
> >> If you emulate the server, you can run the server code on it, which means
> you
> >> get exactly what that code does -- bugs and all.
> >
> > Simh's PDP11 might be a path to doing that.
> 
> I think you're right. Like I said above, I think Simh can already do
> the 11/53 CPU, the DEQNA, and the CXY08. I don't think Simh could do
> any other type of line card when I last checked but who cares. So with
> a little Simh configuration, a MOP server and software, and the DS500
> ROM it might just almost work. But I believe Tim's original message
> said he couldn't get the ROM loaded.

Yes it doesn't have the actual DS500 ROM, BUT is that necessary?
The PDP11 simulator can do a DEQNA/DELQA MOP boot.  It would seem
that this combined with a MOP server with the correct DS500 image 
should be good enough since hopefully, the only purpose of the real 
ROM is to support the setup of the device MOP boot.  It would seem
reasonable that everything else would actually be provided in the 
downloaded DS500 image....

- Mark