Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!dcl-cs!se
From: se@comp.lancs.ac.uk (Steve Elliott)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sequent
Subject: Re: Problems with NFS (Sequent <-> Sun)
Keywords: sequent, sun, NFS
Message-ID: <1032@dcl-vitus.comp.lancs.ac.uk>
Date: 27 Sep 90 08:09:06 GMT
References: <5996@balu.UUCP>
Reply-To: se@comp.lancs.ac.uk (Steve Elliott)
Organization: Department of Computing at Lancaster University, UK.
Lines: 44

In article <5996@balu.UUCP> urmel@cosmo.uucp (Markus Hess) writes:
>
>Last week, i've updated the Suns to the new OS Version 4.1 and encountered
>a problem with NFS:
>
>	The Sequent, running DYNIX 3.0.12.1  and operating as server
>	for the Suns, now cause NFS errors (NFS server ... not responding,
>	still trying :-( ) to filesystems mounted on the Suns.
>	The transfer rate dramatically slowed down to about 10KB a second.
>	Using SUNOS 4.0.x, we have no problems. I think, that the Sequent NFS
>	Version used in DYNIX 3.0.12.1 is out of date, but i don't know
>	exactly.
>
>
>Has anyone else got the same problem before? Can anyone help
>or give a hint, how to solve this very annoying problem?
>Thanks for any help in advance.
>
>Markus

I was just about to ask a similar question myself. Several of my
users have reported problems when working on a Sun SparcStation
with user files NFS mounted from a Symmetry S81, DYNIX 3.0.15.
It got so bad I eventually rang up Sequent for advice. 
The conversation went like this:
Me: "We're getting NFS error messages on our Sequent"
Sequent: "What other machines?"
Me: "Sun SparcStations"
Sequent: "I knew you were going to say that...."

Apparently SparcStations throw out Ethernet packets at such a speed
that the Sequent can't keep up with it.
I was told that old SCED boards might be adding to the problem, but that
even with the most uptodate SCEDs there will still be a problem.
The guy I spoke to suggested that we tweaked our Suns to transmit
Ethernet packets slower! He added that the only real solution is
for Sequent to develop a faster driver.

Steve
-- 
se@uk.ac.lancs.comp
Department of Computing, Engineering Building, 
University of Lancaster, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YR, UK
PHONE: +44 524 65201 ext 3783.