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Path: utzoo!decvax!bellcore!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!wucs!nz
From: nz@wucs.UUCP (Neal Ziring)
Newsgroups: net.unix
Subject: VAX console control
Message-ID: <1671@wucs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 31-May-86 10:30:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: wucs.1671
Posted: Sat May 31 10:30:53 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Jun-86 04:23:11 EDT
Reply-To: nz@wucs.UUCP (Neal Ziring)
Distribution: na
Organization: Washington U. Engineering Computer Lab
Lines: 49

In the latest edition of DEC's "Large Systems NEWS", DEC has announced
the availability of a new product, the _VAXcluster Console System_(tm).
To quote the article, 

	"DIGITAL is pleased to announce the VAXcluster
	 Console System, which provides a single,
	 central point of control for all cluster-wide console
	 functions...."

The gist of product is that you can eliminate all those hardcopy terminals
that DEC gives you to hook up to the Console port of a VAX(tm), and control
everything from a central uVAX-II containing special hardware and running
special software.

Now, I don't want to accuse DEC of recycling ideas, but the concept of a
console concentrator is not a new one.  My boss, Mr. [name withheld], 
thought up a console system for our installation, and over the course of
last summer, I implemented his ideas under BSD UNIX(tm).

We now use the CONCH system to record and access all the consoles in our
machine room (5 UNIX VAXen, 2 VMS VAXen, and a terminal data switch).
We like the convenience of accessing the console of any host from any
UNIX machine on the local network.

The minimum requirements for CONCH are:

	1 - 4.2 or 4.2 UNIX or 1.x ULTRIX system on any VAXen
	2 - one terminal port on the back of such a VAX for each
		console to monitor.
	3 - lots of disk space

One nice thing about this system is that it is not VMS-specific, any RS-232
port can be treated as a ``console''.  Another nice thing is that no
special hardware is required.  Berkeley IPC is required, though, apologies to
you systemV users.

If you would like more information about CONCH, send me a reply and I
will tell you anything you want to know, or send you the manual pages and
the CONCH reference document.

Lastly, CONCH is in the public domain -- free for the asking!
-- 
...nz (Neal Ziring at WU ECL  -  we're here to provide superior computing.)

	{seismo,ihnp4,cbosgd}!wucs!nz   OR   nz@wucs.UUCP

    "You could get an infinite number of wires into this !*$$#!?! junction 
                         box, but we usually don't go that far in practice"
				--   Employee of London Electricity Board, 1959