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From: terry@spcvxb.spc.edu (Terry Kennedy, Operations Mgr.)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: Rev levels for hardware maintenance of VAX Nodes
Message-ID: <1991Jun11.190708.1462@spcvxb.spc.edu>
Date: 11 Jun 91 19:07:08 GMT
References: <5621@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Distribution: usa
Organization: St. Peter's College, US
Lines: 35

In article <5621@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov>, silverstein@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov (MARK SILVERSTEIN) writes:
>      Does anybody know if DEC publishes or makes available for sale, current rev
> levels and Field Change Orders (FCOs) as they become needed?  Such a guide would
> make us feel a bit better about our unknown maintainer.

  DEC offers two things of interest: DEC-O-LOG, an FCO log, and Maintenance
Documentation Service (manuals, diagnostic listings, etc.), both on micro-
fiche.

  These services would be more useful if they were more complete, but they
will probably give you what you need. DEC-O-LOG announces new FCO's as they
are announced, and is pretty good about being up-to-date. As a reference
service, it's far less useful, since if you want to look up a board by M-
number you may or may not find it, and your board may be at a higher revis-
ion level than the fiche indicates. An additional page listing all module
numbers and current CS revs would be useful. Also, DEC-O-LOG just contains
the summary announcements, not the complete FCO text. The part number is
MFDOL-x, where X varies. This is a complete cross-product kit (covering
terminals, PDP-11, VAX, DEC-10/20, peripherals, etc.)

  MDS consists of an assortment of hardware manuals, although many are mis-
sing, the complete text of the FCO's described in DEC-O-LOG, diagnostic
listings, and sometimes schematics. I was told by DEC that they don't pro-
vide schematics any more because "they were frequently unreadable". Hmph.
You need to buy this per product group. The possibilities are:
Terminals, PDP-11 (includes terminals and peripherals), Low-end VAX (in-
cludes terminals and peripherals) and VAX (includes low-end VAX, terminals,
and peripherals). I think there's also a DEC-10/20 version.

  Both of these are updated monthly. DEC-O-LOG is a _lot_ less expensive -
it is quite possible to spend $10,000 a year on MDS.

	Terry Kennedy		Operations Manager, Academic Computing
	terry@spcvxa.bitnet	St. Peter's College, US
	terry@spcvxa.spc.edu	(201) 915-9381