> On Mar 14, 2018, at 12:40 PM, geneb via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > On Wed, 14 Mar 2018, Zane Healy wrote: > >> I’m currently using Ubuntu (I’ve run SIMH a lot of different UNIX & Linux >> flavors over the years). >> >> With the ESXI and RPi systems, I’m using the version of SIMH/VAX that Ubuntu >> provides. With the i5, I upgraded to current to try to resolve some issues. >> The i5 is serving up several large drives, and a couple small Shadowsets >> that it shares with another system. The Shadowsets are for Cluster Files, >> and critical data. It’s also my cluster tape server (virtual tapes). >> >> There can be issues, but I think the ones I’ve run into are more a >> OpenVMS/VAX v7.3 & OpenVMS/Alpha v8.3 clustering issue. Backing up an ODS-5 >> disk from a VAX isn’t a good idea, but it seems fine to back it up from the >> Alpha, to a tape drive on the VAX. > > What model of HP i5 did you get? I'm entertaining the idea of getting > another R710, but they're still ~$250 plus drives. > > tnx. > > g.
I’ve been using the HP SFF systems. I think the i5 I got specifically to run SIMH is a 6300. It’s an i5-3470 3.2Ghz system with 4 GB RAM. I had to add a hard drive, but had an old 500GB drive laying around. That’s plenty big to backup and migrate the data on my Compaq XP1000 running OpenVMS 8.3 to. It’s not a modern system, but it’s newer by far than any of my real VMS hardware. To me the key thing is, it only cost $75. I also have two other HP SFF systems, both are 8200’s one is an i5, the other an i7. The i7 is the ESXI system I mentioned. The VM running SIMH is able to outperform SIMH on the HP 6300 SFF box. I initially had lots of issues with clock drift on OpenVMS running under ESXI, but it turns out that was due to my having throttled the VM itself. Once I removed that, everything is fine. I’ve since switched to using CPU idling under SIMH, to reduce the load on the host CPU. In spite of having a website on emulating DEC HW, I’ve resisted emulating the VAX, as I didn’t see the point. We’ve reached the point where even a RPI running SIMH outperforms most of my VAXen, and the i5 and i7 based systems running SIMH can outperform all of my VAXen. I just wish the hobbyist options for Alpha emulation were better. I may consider picking up another HP SFF running a supported version of Windows, and then trying the Alpha emulation on it. Zane
