From: bad bob [sfmc68@bellatlantic.net] Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2002 7:44 PM To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com Subject: Re: Clustering beginnings - Clair Grant might know. "Edward C. Bailey" wrote: > > >>>>> "Alan" == Alan Greig writes: > > Alan> On Tue, 5 Mar 2002 18:33:10 +0100, "Dr. Dweeb" > Alan> wrote: > > >> Hmm, clustering in 1980 ? Is that accurate ? > > Alan> By 1982 I had seen a presentation on TOPS-20 clustering (CI, star > Alan> couplers, hsc-50 controllers). I believe the TOPS-20 clustering > Alan> shipped before that for VMS. but they could have been done in > Alan> parallel. > > Well, in '81 I was working on Galaxy support in MR1, and I recall seeing > both "NI" and "CI" cables/hardware in the LCG lab, so it certainly existed > at that time. > > Before and after this time I worked with VMS and I can tell you that "real" > clustering under VMS (ie, shared read/write file acess between different > cluster members) was quite late -- the functionality that VMS first > supported was simply device access over CI. No shared read/write was > possible because VMS hadn't moved away from ACP processes towards the > distributed lock manager approach they eventually implemented to arbitrate > shared device access. > > My recollection was that TOPS-20 clustering did ship before VMS had "real" > clustering; whether it shipped before VMS claimed CI device support, I do > not know. My cynical side wonders if VMS' CI device support was rushed out > to claim "first support", but I have no data to back that up. It may have > been as simple as the fact that the hardware was ready to be sold, and the > VAX product line had no way to generate sales on this stuff until VMS > provided at least some level of support for the hardware... > That is my recollection too. The HSC stuff was one of the keys for CI connected storage, and that set included various models that transitioned to COlorado in the late 70s iirc, I recall Richie Lary coming in to help with 11/60 microcode, and DMC/KMC microcode around 76 from ColoSprings. I admit my dates may be off a bit, maybe a year, but... bob > Ed > -- > Ed Bailey Red Hat, Inc. http://www.redhat.com/