Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!rich
From: rich@eddie.MIT.EDU (Richard Caloggero)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Native ethernet for Apollos
Message-ID: <8242@eddie.MIT.EDU>
Date: 23 Feb 88 16:31:28 GMT
Organization: MIT EE/CS Computer Facility, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 26
Keywords: ethernet, ringnet, gateway



     We have recently purchased an Alliant fx8 and are planning to
     configure a heterogeneous environment based on 9 Apollo dn3000s,
and the fx8.  Are focus is on computational mechanics, and thus we need
an environment which is flexable, easy to use from the vewpoint of an
engeneer, and adaptive to the changing technology.  My question is
this: what are the advantages/disadvantages of replacing our domain
ringnet with ethernet.  If we go with our current plan of using one of
our 3000s as a gateway to the ethernet on which there exists only one
host, the fx8, is it probable that this might become our bottleneck in
the future, especially since we don't have the resources to dedicate
one Apollo exclusively to the task of being a server; they will all be
used interactively?  Also, is domain/os, since it is more Unix-like,
more comfortable running in a native ethernet environment?

     Any comments or experience with either configuration, or
     suggestions of other configurations are most welcome.  Thanx in
advance.


-- 
						-- Rich (rich@eddie.mit.edu).
	The circle is open, but unbroken.
	Merry meet, merry part,
	and merry meet again.