Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!cmcl2!rosenblg
From: rosenblg@cmcl2.NYU.EDU (Gary J. Rosenblum)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: DEC 582810/20 performance concerns
Message-ID: <51095@cmcl2.NYU.EDU>
Date: 2 Nov 90 07:57:02 GMT
References: <1990Nov1.050433.5615@bmers145.bnr.ca> <15523@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Organization: New York University
Lines: 20

I spoke with a few DECies at the Unix Expo in NYC today, and basically the
consensus was 'We screwed up'.  In fact one highly placed  engineer said it in
stronger language.  I asked him what he would suggest, and he said it might
very well be to buy a 5500!  Of course, this wasn't the 5800 product manager
or anyone on the team, so this ain't the gospel.  But it is widely known 
that (as George said) the CPU-XMI interface is a major bottleneck.  Not to
mention the SMP scheduler code leaves lots to be desired.  They did say that
4.1 will be shipping ASAP, and that might alleviate the performance problem
a little.  

I couldn't get it out of them what the future of the 5800 series would be.
That is for marketing, unfortunately.  Now, if we can get them to tell the 
customers that there IS a problem with the 5800s, instead of having to beat 
them up until they admit it....

					gary

Gary J. Rosenblum	
UNIX Systems Manager			rosenblg@nyu.edu
New York University			gary@nyu.edu