Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!xanth!nic.MR.NET!shamash!raspail!bga
From: bga@raspail.cdcnet.cdc.com (Bruce Albrecht)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: AT&T 3B20D
Keywords: 3B20D
Message-ID: <2097@raspail.cdcnet.cdc.com>
Date: 11 Jun 89 18:30:16 GMT
References: <486@ntvax.UUCP> <822@unocss.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Control Data Corporation, Arden Hills, MN
Lines: 11

In article <822@unocss.UUCP>, mlewis@unocss.UUCP (Marcus S. Lewis) writes:
> My understanding (also from a DG FE) was that the difference between a mini
> and a mainframe was that on a mainframe you can to diagnostics and swapout
> maintenance without shutting down.  What enables the MV/40 to do this is a
> new bus (new to the MV series) controller.

I think your DG FE was putting you on.  There's nothing inherent in a mainframe
that allows it to do online diagnostics, etc., that is peculiar to a mainframe.
If the software and hardware is designed to allow for it, you can logically
turn almost anything off, and pull it.  Of course, outside of a few machines
specifically designed for fault-tolerance, losing a CPU is fatal.