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|
| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 137 responses total. |
tao
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|
response 75 of 137:
| 
Dec 18 20:42 UTC 1997 |
That's a very reasonable precaution. New hardware of this
sort shouldn't be set up and then left alone, even for a
week's vacation. Newly-installed equipment can die despite
staff's best efforts; a component may fail, etc.
|
scott
|
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response 76 of 137:
|
Dec 19 02:06 UTC 1997 |
Right. We'd hate to be stuck with stores closed, staffers preferring to spend
time with family rather than in the pumpkin getting it back together.
|
srw
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response 77 of 137:
|
Dec 19 02:23 UTC 1997 |
Actually, I think staff was ready to do this in early December, but the
general opinion was that because of the board election, we should not switch
machines at that time. So we waited until after Dec 15, but by then we are
too close to the holidays. So now we are waiting until January. The machine
is ready to go. I just received the additional memory for it to bring it to
64M. I got a pretty good deal on it, too, only $248 bottom line for 16 9bit
30pin SIMMs.
Some security checks have been done already, although I would like to see a
few more done. There's nothing to stop that except to get time from the
relevant security experts on the staff.
So right now early January looks pretty realistic.
|
dang
|
|
response 78 of 137:
|
Dec 19 21:38 UTC 1997 |
(That's "bring it to 128M.")
|
srw
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response 79 of 137:
|
Dec 20 21:56 UTC 1997 |
D'oh. 64+64= 128. Yeah. I added 64 to the 64 that were there.
|
tsty
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response 80 of 137:
|
Dec 27 22:56 UTC 1997 |
s'ok, it coulda been 63.99999999M ya know...
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dpc
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response 81 of 137:
|
Jan 19 16:28 UTC 1998 |
I thought I'd resurrect this item because our load average is around
19. The last I heard of the 670, Steve Andre had volunteered
to make some time on his calendar to do the final security checks
needed to start the 670 working.
Do we know when this might happen?
|
valerie
|
|
response 82 of 137:
|
Jan 20 05:06 UTC 1998 |
19 is pretty low for Grex's load average. The system is usually pretty
usable into the mid 20's. However, the dial-ins are insanely lagged since
they moved to the terminal server, so that's probably the problem you're
seeing.
I'm not sure about STeve's calendar.
|
arthurp
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response 83 of 137:
|
Jan 21 04:57 UTC 1998 |
What would be the reason for lag on the modems? I don't follow.
|
tsty
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response 84 of 137:
|
Jan 21 09:52 UTC 1998 |
maybe i'm not too bright, but... since "the dialins are
insanely lagged since they moved to the terminal server.." *again* ...
WTF put them there? turn on my light, ok?
|
scott
|
|
response 85 of 137:
|
Jan 21 12:10 UTC 1998 |
The modems are on the terminal server so they can run faster, and so that
there is no ALM (serial card) needed on the 670. However, there seems to be
some kind of lag effect that started *before* the move to the termial server,
which right now I am thinking is line noise.
|
arthurp
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response 86 of 137:
|
Jan 22 05:09 UTC 1998 |
Line noise related to Ameriwreck work done recently and mentioned in
another item?
|
dpc
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response 87 of 137:
|
Jan 22 21:02 UTC 1998 |
Calling Steve Andre. Calling Steve Andre. Come in, Steve! 8-)
|
other
|
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response 88 of 137:
|
Jan 22 21:27 UTC 1998 |
STeve is busy right now. Please leave a message at the sound of the tone,
and STeve will get back to you. Thank you.
<g>
|
lilmo
|
|
response 89 of 137:
|
Jan 22 22:17 UTC 1998 |
*beep*
|
janc
|
|
response 90 of 137:
|
Jan 25 22:42 UTC 1998 |
Advantages of the terminal server:
- All modems can be run at 14.4K instead of a few at 9600 and the rest
at 2400.
- Reduction of CPU load on Grex from serial I/O interupts. These were
especially bad when people zmodemed files to Grex.
- Possible reduction of flakiness of Grex. Some of the crashs Grex
was having a while back may have been related to ALM card problems.
There are also hints of other problems being caused by bad behavior
of the ALM card.
- Elimination of worries about compatibility of ALM card with 4/670.
The ALM cards are old and dubious technology. They may be causing
problems with the newer 4/260 CPU. They are even more likely to be
a source of problems with a much newer 4/670 CPU.
- Reduction of power consumption. At a guess, we'll probably be using
$5 to $10 less electricity per month without the ALM card. This also
means less heat in the Pumpkin.
Disadvantages of the terminal server:
- The "please wait a bit" delay. We may be able to improve this.
- Some teething problems with lag and lost data that we will almost
certainly be able to fix, and probably have no relation to the terminal
server.
Anytime we make any change, there are likely to be short-term problems, some
real, some imaginary. It's the price of doing business.
|
aruba
|
|
response 91 of 137:
|
Jan 26 03:34 UTC 1998 |
Saving power will be great, if someone will PLEASE MEASURE OUR FREAKIN'
CONSUMPTION, because otherwise we will keep paying what we are now, which is
based on a measurement from over 2 years ago (of the Sun 3).
|
valerie
|
|
response 92 of 137:
|
Jan 27 16:41 UTC 1998 |
Re 91: Just about every month at the monthly staff meeting we talk about this
and someone or other says that they will go measure Grex's power consumption.
It doesn't seem to matter who volunteers to do it; it never does happen.
We definitely need to measure Grex's power usage. I'm amazed at how long
it's taking.
|
lilmo
|
|
response 93 of 137:
|
Feb 3 22:24 UTC 1998 |
Can a meter be installed?
|
dpc
|
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response 94 of 137:
|
Feb 4 01:49 UTC 1998 |
Can a Steve Andre-detector be installed? 8-)
|
gibson
|
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response 95 of 137:
|
Feb 4 07:45 UTC 1998 |
If someone has an old home electric meter it would be easy to wire it
to plug in the wall and the sun plug into it. Property disposal used to have
some for $5.00 but I haven't been there for some time.
|
scott
|
|
response 96 of 137:
|
Feb 4 12:07 UTC 1998 |
We've got tools to measure power consumption, it's just that it is a real pain
to do (hint: Grex has to be shut down twice...)
|
gibson
|
|
response 97 of 137:
|
Feb 7 05:51 UTC 1998 |
You could plug it in when grex is down sometime, you really dont have
to remove the meter afterward unless you wanted to use it elsewhere.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 98 of 137:
|
Feb 7 07:16 UTC 1998 |
The last time STeve measured the power it was with a clamp-on ammeter and
a power cable split so one lead could be clamped around. Easy to split
power cables without turning things off (v..e..r..y carefully...). So,
why not do it without shutting down the system?
|
mdw
|
|
response 99 of 137:
|
Feb 7 09:00 UTC 1998 |
Most of grex's power cables are the round kind with the really tough
outer insulation. So far as I know, none of the staff has a death wish.
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