Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!hubcap!gatech!uflorida!mailrus!ames!pacbell!pbseps!rdp
From: rdp@pbseps.UUCP (Richard Perlman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sequent
Subject: Re: Sequent S81 running Dynix
Message-ID: <368@pbseps.UUCP>
Date: 12 Mar 89 01:21:26 GMT
References: <723@sactoh0.UUCP> <2400037@horizon>
Reply-To: rdp@pbseps.PacBell.COM (Richard Perlman)
Organization: Pacific Bell Separations, San Francisco, CA
Lines: 29

We are running a 4 processor Symmetry (small cabinet, is that the
S27 (can recall)?).  All in all it has been quite reliable.  We
started out life as a 10 processor Balance and then upgraded to
Symmetry rev-A, we just got our Rev. B boards.

We also run diagnostics "when something goes wrong", which in our
case as happened with three sub-systems.  We have had a lot of
annoying problems with the Fujitsu 9-track drives, the heads seem to
get dirty quickly.  Pluss we had some problems with terminations
on the tape controller cables.

We also had to replace the SCED (serial console/ethernet
controller) board recently when it started seeing phantom
interupts from the console when booting the system.  I kept
changing the console baud rate.

We are now beginning to see what looks like a disk problem on one
Swallow drive after 3 years of steady use.

Hot-line service is good, used to be GREAT.  Major complaint,
System V seems to be only half-heartedly implemented.  There are
problems with term i/o and some simple things (news) just don't
work at all.



-- 
Richard Perlman * pbseps!rdp@PacBell.COM || {ames,sun,att}!pacbell!pbseps!rdp
180 New Montgomery St. rm 602,  San Francisco, CA  94105  |*| 1(415) 545-0233