Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!rutgers!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!contex!frank
From: frank@contex.UUCP (Frank Perdicaro)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Imaginary PIs
Keywords: Long but interesting
Message-ID: <1411@contex.UUCP>
Date: 31 Aug 90 14:15:42 GMT
Organization: Xyvision Design Systems, Wakefield MA
Lines: 64

A Modest Proposal

   The 4D 25S is a fine machine; it could be made into a better machine.
Imagine this.  As the place where the GR1 board goes is vacant in the server, 
it should be possible to place a second IP10 in there.  
   There should be no problem with power, because the majority of power that 
is consumed by a 4D 25G is consumed on the GR1 and related boards.  If there
is no problem with power use, there is unlikely to be a problem with power
dissipation.
   The sheet metal modifications are not too bad -- the tooling already 
exists for the holes that need to be punched. 
   As this is stricly a server ( lets call it the 4D 25SS ), there is 
no need of a graphical terminal.  Send out a dual-session, dual-port
terminal ( like the Wyse-60 ) to act as the console of both cpus.

Proposed Configuration 1.
   Make the second cpu be a diskless workstation.  Put 64Mbytes in the 
16 SIMM slots.  Use the new NQS software to move jobs back and forth, and 
place both machines as peers on an Ethernet trunk.
[NOTE: this is the rack-mounted 4D 25 I want]

Proposed Configuration 2.
   Make the second cpu be a diskless workstation.  Put 64Mbytes in the 
16 SIMM slots.  Put a network bridge card in the VME slot of the primary
cpu and have the seconday cpu be on its own sub-net.  This provides 
for zero additional Ethernet traffic and good security possibilities.

Proposed Configuration 3.
   Very minor sheet metal modification make it possible to run a full height
drive in the top slot of a 4D 25.  Make these modifications and place a drive
there.  Cut the existing SCSI cable in half, and have the top-slot drive 
serve the secondary cpu.  This still provides for SCSI expansion in one cpu, 
but provides two independent cpu in one box.

Proposed Configuration 4.
   Further sheet metal modifications would make it possible to have each cpu
have a SCSI port to the outside world.  Imagine each cpu with its own Iris 
File loaded with a Tahiti and an Exabyte or other SCSI peripherals.

Proposed Configuration 5.
   Take configuration 4 and...
   Put a FDDI card in the VME slot of each cpu ( first right-shift the 
cost of a FDDI card 3 bits! ) and you have a very fast communications pathway
between the cpus.  I suggest that the 20 Mhz R3000s be replaced with 
33 Mhz R3000s to take advantage of this high-speed communications ability.

Proposed Configuration 6
   Use the new Wren Elite drives in place of the Wren 7 drives, replace 
the 16 4*9 SIMMS with 16 8*9 SIMMS and say 'this is a fast computer'.

Proposed Configuration 7
   Use the 4D 25 that Ratheon sells as a base for a 4 cpu system similar
to the ones described above.


Please sell these for $9995 configured.  

Please note that I am making pleas and guesses.  If I have just announced a   
product, it is certainly be accident.
-- 
	Frank E Perdicaro, Systems Admin, etc.		Xyvision Design Systems
   LEGALIZE Guns, drugs and cash...today.		101 Edgewater Drive
inhouse:  frank@bugs 					Wakefield MA
outhouse: contex!frank@uunet.uu.net			018801285