[rescue] 4d/310 confusion

[Francois Dion]

Wes Will wrote:

>>Somebody has got to pick this puppy up! You can even upgrade to an IP15 
>>    
>>
>
>I can likely get to it, for the guts or whatever, since it's only a couple
>hours' drive from me.  What would it need (besides a raid array with some
>disks in it) to be useful again?  I have enough raid enclosures with drive
>carriers and such stuff, and I know I have a ton of smaller 4-9 GB drives...
>
The good:
-it's cool :)
-it's like a big iron server, but it's really
-vme slots!
-looks to be in good shape
-can run Irix 5.3 or you can go retro with 4D-4.05
-it has a 2/3 populated MC2, an IO3, a cpu card, and a complete 5 span 
VGX. It has the 10span connector for the VGX
-it has 3 cables from VGX to front panel (are to find, usually only 1 or 
2 to be found)
-The box itself can accept 2 5.25" half height (or 2 3.5") and 2 5.25" 
full height (or again, 2 more 3.5"). So you could have 1 cd-rom and 3 x 
HD (all need to be 50 pin SCSI). You will need 4D disk brackets. I might 
have 1 spare and I know a few list members have a few.
-It comes with 2 SGI monitors so you'd be set there, except you will 
have to make yourself a 3 or 4 bnc to vga or 13w3 cable. Unless it has a 
13W3 out, in which case a 13W3 to 13W3.
-Can run on 115 or 220.

The Bad:
-You will need a power cord. This would be a twist-lock 125V 20A to 
whatever you want on the other end. 125V 15A or 20A. It wont draw 
anywhere near that much.
-memory is hard to find for the mc2
-you would need one more RM2 to make it 10span.
-You will need to track down Irix 5.3 (I think 812-0323-001)
-Will not run anything more modern than 5.3 (no 6.5 or even 6.2)

The ugly:
-It's heavy
-It's relatively big (wont fit in your car unless it's a wagon or larger)
-It produces heat (a good thing in winter tough)
-batteries not included :)   (this thing could pull a good 5 amps 
depending on the drives).

>I have zero experience with this class of hardware, and wouldn't have a
>clue what to do with it.
>
Seriously, the single IP7 might feel too slugish and this box would work 
a lot better with an IP15 with dual cpu (or even a pair of IP15 - plus 
it seems like you can overclock them). Still, just to have one and fire 
it up from time to time would be cool. You get attached to these critters :)

 An Iris Crimson (or 1 notch higher, the Onyx) are a bit more powerfull, 
but I would think this should work well. I actually might go back to 
IP15 boards on my Power, if I can find these boards, and keep the 
Crimson parts for the Crimson (the Power was converted to a Crimson but 
is missing memory and an IO3B to come back to life, plus other boards 
are really unknown right now).

Hopefully I gave you enough pros/cons.

Francois