Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!husc6!purdue!mentor.cc.purdue.edu!mace.cc.purdue.edu!abe
From: abe@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Vic Abell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sequent
Subject: Re: What does it take to administer a Sequent?
Summary: A Sequent Symmetry is a good choice.
Message-ID: <4106@mace.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: 9 Feb 90 20:23:24 GMT
References: <13589@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Organization: Purdue University
Lines: 42

In article <13589@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>, lrr@Princeton.EDU (Lawrence R. Rogers) writes:
> 
> We are looking at purchasing a Sequent to service about 2400 students at
> Princeton University.  How much time does it take to administer the machine?
> 
> We are talking about a S81 with 12 processors, 120Mb of memory, ~6Gb of
> disk and source code.  Much thanks.

The Sequent Symmetry is an excellent choice as a general-purpose system to
serve large numbers of instructional users.  The Purdue University Computing
Center currently has three Symmetry S81 systems serving that purpose:

		Host		CPU's	Accounts

		expert.cc	6	  784
		mentor.cc	12	2,877
		sage.cc		8	2,777

(Expert.cc with 6 CPU's is a special purpose, X Window System server that
supports two laboratories containing Visual, X-19, X Display Stations.)

The systems can handle impressive loads with 275+ logins common.  Many
terminal connections come through an AT&T ISN switch via a fiber optics
Unibus adapter and Multibus-to-Unibus hardware of our own design.  Each of
the systems also drive three or four printers.  We use NFS among them
extensively - e. g., for sharing news and manual pages.  

Administrative support of Symmetry systems is as easy as supporting any
general purpose, Unix system.  The distributed Sequent system, DYNIX, is
mostly based on 4.2BSD, but we make available to Sequent customers who have
purchased a DYNIX source license a comprehensive update that brings the
system up to 4.3BSD-Tahoe, including kernel modifications for advanced
networking and rlogind support.  Sequent has current plans for an official
release that will also have extensive 4.3BSD support.

We have never regretted our choice of Sequent systems for the support of
large numbers of instructional users.  The systems are capable, expandable
and cost effective.

Vic Abell
Assistant Director
Purdue University Computing Center