Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!fdls!dougw
From: dougw@fdls.odag.or.gov (Doug Walker)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ncr
Subject: Re: Summary - migration of Tower 32/450 from NCR Unix 2.01.01 to 3.00.01.
Keywords: migrate
Message-ID: <349@fdls.odag.or.gov>
Date: 15 Feb 91 01:08:36 GMT
References: <959@safn2.UUCP>
Organization: OR Dept. of Agric., F&D-Lab Svcs, Salem, OR
Lines: 49
A-Internet: dougw@fdls.odag.or.gov
B-Uucp: uunet!fdls!dougw
C-Phone: (503) 378-3790

In <959@safn2.UUCP> rey@safn2.UUCP (rey) writes:

>I needed to install a larger disk; and really wanted the latest and greatest,
>so I proceeded in spite of the cautions of others.

>The plan was to do it over a weekend. NCR field eng installed the new
>380MB Wren IV (I got from SeaChange ) at 16:00 Fri. . . .

I assume you knew that the Sea Change Drive packages are supported on both
02.xx.xx and 03.xx.xx.  What we chose to do was go ahead and install a Sea
Change Drive (610 mb formatted on a 32/650 in our case) and keep using
02.01.01.  I also found it extremely interesting that NCR did the hardware
install.  Will they cover your Tower under maintenance?  In our case, we sub
contracted with Sea Change for the install.  NCR will work on our Tower on a
time and materials basis but will not cover it under maintenance because they
consider it to be "non standard".  As an aside, Sea Change Drives can normally
be installed by the user.  Detailed installation instructions are provided.
In our case, we did a bunch of other stuff at the same time (gutted out a
32/600 and moved a bunch of the innards to a stripped down 32/650), so we let
the professionals do it.

>Another concern was the 5 yrs of menu.o shell scripts we had written,
>(The rel 3 uses VSAD menu system) would all have to be rewritten. I had
>no way of knowing until I got rel 3 up.

Have you considered using the Unify menu system instead of the NCR menu
system?  I've used the Unify menu system on a continuing basis on several
different computers since 1983 and have found it to satisfy our application
menu needs quite nicely.  All users (other than a few hackers like myself who
drop right into shell) are taken directly into our Unify application menu
system.  It even allows you to give each user their own menu structure.

I appreciated hearing about your actual experiences.  They were very close
to the scenario that I had pictured for us.

How much RAM do you have?  I understand that 03.xx.xx gobbles up more RAM than
02.xx.xx.  We currently have 12 mb of RAM and 32 ports.  We hope to be able to
afford to upgrade to 16 mb of RAM during August of 1991 and plan to reevaluate
the move to 03.xx.xx after we have 16 mb of RAM.

>Reynolds McClatchey (Southern Aluminum Finishing Co, Atlanta, GA, USA)
>Architectural Aluminum. Custom Fabrication. Paint, Powder Coating, Anodizing.
>uunet!safn2!rey		MCImail 414-2935

-- 
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Doug Walker               uunet!fdls!dougw  -or-  dougw@fdls.odag.or.gov
Oregon Department of Agriculture, Salem, Oregon           (503) 378-3790