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HP OpenVMS Systemsask the wizard |
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The Question is: We are currently restructuring our current Vax system and need to know whether the star coupler will be supported or still available in conjunction with the HSZ80 or whether there is a more viable route to follow. I am replacing 5 Vaxs with 4 Alphas and n eed all systems to backup each other so i need the cluster hardware capability and coupler to access my disk farm. The Answer is : For support options, requirements, and contractual information and commitments, please contact your hardware service organization directly. For pre-sales information and assistance, please contact your HP reseller or your HP representative. OpenVMS Engineering has no plans to remove the software that is required for use with the CI -- your question, however, more directly involves hardware and hardware support plans. The Star Coupler itself is a passive device, and it is central to all CI (Cluster Interconnect) configurations. CI bandwidth is typically quoted at 70 megabits per second, dual-channel -- and this obviously assumes you have CI controllers capable of dual-channel operations. Fibre Channel is the expected storage for mid- and high-end clustering configurations, and it specifically targets hardware of more recent vintage than VAX systems. Fibre Channel storage controllers include the HSG and HSV series controllers. HSZ controllers are SCSI-based controllers and SCSI-based configurations are common within low-end configurations and as auxilliary and direct or local-access storage for mid- and upper-end systems. HSZ and SCSI host-to-host interconnects may or may not be suited to your environment and sufficient for your requirements -- without details on the storage configuration and requirements, the OpenVMS Wizard cannot provide particular specifics here. While CI adapters are available, it may be more expedient and cheaper to reconfigure over to and to use newer storage. Given you have CI and VAX storage, you likely have older and slower and smaller storage -- again, it may well be easiest to simply serve the newer storage to the VAX systems.
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