Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!LLL-ICDC.ARPA!OBERMAN From: OBERMAN@LLL-ICDC.ARPA ("Kevin Oberman, 422-6955, L-156") Newsgroups: comp.os.vms Subject: System Industries Disks Message-ID: <8708130743.AA08275@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Date: Wed, 12-Aug-87 19:18:00 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8708130743.AA08275 Posted: Wed Aug 12 19:18:00 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 15-Aug-87 07:15:13 EDT Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Distribution: world Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 46 This is a response to Bob Wheeler's comment on System Industries disks. It sounds like he's had totally unacceptable support and an incredible number of problems. This is clearly NOT universal. I got my first SI disk system (9762 drive on a 9500 controller) back in 1975. While the controller has gone away for something a little closer to state of the art (and dual ported), the system never gave us any serious problems. The controller was still working fine the day it was retired. The drive is still working TODAY! That's 12 years. I currently have the following SI equipment: 5 9753 (Eagle) drives, 4 9766 drives (RM05 look alikes), 3 9762 drives (RM03s), 1 9733 (about 300 MB 8in.), 4 9763 (Super Eagles), 978x (160 MB Fixed). All are connected to 9900 controllers on either SBI or CMI interfaces. I have found a failure rate (except on the Super Eagles) of about 0. I would have to look at the recordsto find the last failure, but it was not this year. We have a very good serviceman. He more or less lives on site. (The above lists only my hardware. The site includes LOTS of other SI hardware; some systems are lots bigger than mine.) My success with SI has been outstanding! I still am buying SI disks. I just orders several SI83Cs. And I'm sure I'll have some SI93Cs soon. This mostly says: 1. Service depends on the competence of the local people. Bob's experiance tells me SI needs to work on the personnel in some of their fiel offices. 2. My experiance with hardware reliability is totally at odds with Bob's. I've always found SI hardware to be rock solid. I tend to wonder if something about Bob's environment is not to the liking of the SI equipment. Or maybe it's just bad service people who have compounded a single failure into a series of disasters. 3. Bob should complain LOUDLY to the senior folks in SIs service structure. I mean in Milpitas. And if that doesn't work, talk to the sales people. And if that doesn't help, talk to the district people. Sales can make all sorts of other people jump. And I would not put up with the problems Bob has had. R. Kevin Oberman Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory arpa: oberman@lll-icdc.arpa (415) 422-6955 Disclaimer: I an not endorsing any product. I work for Uncle Sam and to do so would make him upset. The opinions are mine and mine alone. I tend to ignore my boss most of the time anyway.