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From: bob@aargh.cis.ohio-state.edu (Bob Sutterfield)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.pyramid
Subject: Re: Pyramid and Sun net problems?
Message-ID: <1851@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
Date: Tue, 17-Nov-87 18:22:48 EST
Article-I.D.: tut.1851
Posted: Tue Nov 17 18:22:48 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Nov-87 00:19:00 EST
References: <122700002@datacube>
Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Organization: The Ohio State University Dept of Computer & Information Science
Lines: 53

In article <122700002@datacube> berger@datacube.UUCP writes:
>
>We are running osx 4.0 on a 90x (with no data cache). We seem to be 
>experience real performance problems primarily with the ethernet.
>...
>The biggest problem is when a user has a home directory on the Pyramid
>and is logged into a sun, even if they are working on a Sun filesystem,
>they get error messages such as:
>
>NFS server datacube not responding still trying
>NFS write failed for server datacube: RPC: Timed out
>...

Sounds pretty familiar.  We had such problems all spring and half the
summer.  Traced our Ethernet backbone (supecting length/late collision
problems) and cleaned it up a lot in the process.  Spent a lot of time
watching packets fly with a LANalyzer.  Really thought it was our
problem.

All the users were getting pretty irate at us, thinking the system was
crashing and bouncing 20 times a day.

Then one day, while talking to RTOC about another problem, I happened
to notice that once again, all my Pyramid-based X clients' connections
to my Sun had timed out and winked away, and once again swore pretty
vehemently at our network.

The RTOC person said "Oh yeah, that's a known problem.  You see it?
OK, we'll ship you a PTF and fix you right up."  Sure enough, next
morning I installed their PTF, rebooted, and we haven't had such
problems since.

So, I'd suggest you describe your problems to RTOC, because they just
might be able to do something about it for you.

While you have them on the phone, suggest (as I have) that they change
their fix distribution policy so as to send out PTFs that solve
problems of some designated severity level, to all users of that
software, on a regular basis.  This would seem a better idea than
customers wasting a couple of months fooling around trying to solve
major problems, when all along it was a known bug with a known fix.

As I said, I have mentioned this to RTOC, our local sales rep, our
local tech support person, and anybody at any levels inside Pyramid
who would listen.  Maybe if we get more votes, it mike help.

"And if twenty people walk in singing the first few bars... they'll
think it's a movement!"
-=-
 Bob Sutterfield, Department of Computer and Information Science
 The Ohio State University; 2036 Neil Ave. Columbus OH USA 43210-1277
 bob@ohio-state.{arpa,csnet} or ...!cbosgd!osu-cis!bob
 soon: bob@cis.ohio-state.edu