[HECnet] Good connectivity at the moment!

[Mark Wickens]

Hello!

I've been cruising circles other than DEC for the past few months, but I've been drawn back in again.

I just noticed that the area list report on SLAVE http://www.hecnet.eu/area-list.html is reporting excellent area coverage at the moment...

Known Area Volatile Summary as of 18-SEP-2012 17:53:29
    Area       State                   Circuit                     Next node to area
    1             reachable             EWA-0                           1.13 (MIM)
  2             reachable             EWA-0                           2.1 (LEGATO)
  3             reachable             EWA-0                         19.41 (SG1)
  4             reachable                                                   4.249 (SLAVE)
  5             reachable             EWA-0                           5.99
  7             reachable             EWA-0                           7.61 (BITXOO)
  8             reachable             EWA-0                           8.400 (GORVAX)
  11           reachable             EWA-0                         11.1023 (A11RTR)
  18           reachable             EWA-0                           2.1 (LEGATO)
  19           reachable             EWA-0                         19.41 (SG1)
  20           reachable             EWA-0                         19.41 (SG1)
  33           reachable             EWA-0                         19.41 (SG1)
  44           reachable             EWA-0                         44.1023 (A44RTR)
  51           reachable             EWA-0                           2.1 (LEGATO)
  52           reachable             EWA-0                           2.1 (LEGATO)
  54           reachable             EWA-0                           2.1 (LEGATO)
  59           reachable             EWA-0                           2.1 (LEGATO)
  61           reachable             EWA-0                           2.1 (LEGATO)
  62           reachable             EWA-0                         62.637 (CTAKAH)


I've built a SIMH instance on my 24/7 server and put the hecnet.eu website files on it to be served when SLAVE is down. This is done by using Squid under ubuntu as a reverse proxy with a prioritised list of servers to try with a low time out set on each.

I recently received a number of VAX/VMS software product libraries from 1995-1996 (which include VMS 6.2 and 7.0 install CDs) and I'm in the process of putting them up on the archive on SLAVE - http://slave/archive/VAX_MEDIA/ the 1995 SPL contains the installation kit for DEC rdb (although the documentation refers to Oracle rdb, it must have been around the time it was sold to Oracle) and I was also given a license for rdb, although I think certainly the later VAX/VMS package from Oracle doesn't require it - http://www.hecnet.eu/archive/VAX_MEDIA/VAXBINDEC957/DECRDB061/DOCUMENTATION/

All these SPLs have filled the shadowed 147GB drives in SLAVE so I've just ordered two 300 GB 2nd hand drives off eBay for   55. Hopefully they'll work OK and it'll keep me going for a bit longer.

I was asking Hoff on the Deathrow Chat forum about how far the SIMH VAX 3900 implementation can be stretched in terms of available memory and disk space, I hadn't heard of the RAUSER drive which might mean I can go fully simulated with the website as well (http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/922).

With thanks to Johnny (for providing a kit to re-flash my firmware) my VAXstation 4000/90 is now back up and running. The PSU blew up which also took out all the attached disk drives which is a little strange, but after replacing the PSU and much trial and error with hard drives I have a 68 pin 18GB SCSI drive running nicely via 68 pin to 50 ping adapter (originally from my Indigo 2). They are such a great box, I'd have been very sad to see it's demise. Hopefully I've got a few more years to come out of it now. Being my first VAX since I worked with them 'back in the day' it holds a special place in my heart.

Regards, Mark.