Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA!mhg
From: mhg@MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA (Mark H. Granoff)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: LAVC: uVAX II / RD53 as bootnode
Message-ID: <8806201303.AA00392@mitre-bedford.ARPA>
Date: 20 Jun 88 13:02:59 GMT
References: <8806170907.AA25744@mitre-bedford.ARPA>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 38

>On the very first page of the VMS Local Area VAXcluster manual
>is stated that a Microvax II bootnode must have a RD54 or larger system
>disk.
>And the VMS 4.6 KITINSTAL.COM refuses to install VMS 4.6 on a RD52 or RD53
>systemdisk if the Microvax II is a LAVC bootnode.
>Why ?
>Is it just a performance issue, is it just Digital trying to sell more
>expensive disk-units or is there a serious reason like Satellite nodes
>not being able to boot from a remote RD53 ?
>Any comments on or experiences with Microvax/RD53 serving as LACV bootnode
>are welcome.

We have several LAVc's here.  In general, the system disk of the boot
node in a LAVc will contain n+1 system directory trees for n
satellites.  (There's a root for the boot node, of course; that's
where n+1 comes from).  In a generic configuration, each satellite
will have a system dump file located on the boot node.  In addition,
if the satellites are diskless, their page and swap files will be on
the boot node system disk.  Add it all up and your talking 20000 to
30000 blocks (roughly) per satellite plus system directory tree plus
boot node sys dir tree and page/swap files.  With anything less than an
RD54, you'll run out of disk space fast.

There may be more complex reasons too, but common sense in this case
seems to answer the question.

Hope this helps.

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| Mark H. Granoff                      Member of the Technical Staff |
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