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HP OpenVMS Systemsask the wizard |
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The Question is: I have a VAX8250 using an RA60 as a boot device. I would like to boot from any type of hard drive is there a unibus card that can do this function. The Answer is : The VAX 8250 series system is a BI-based dual-processor-capable VAX system (known as the VAX 8350 when configured for SMP), and was originally released in 1986. You likely have either a Unibus UDA50 or a BI KDB50 DSA disk controller in your VAX 8250 system. These controllers permit access to various RA- and TA-series storage devices, such as the 205 MB RA60. The largest disks in this DSA disk series are members of the RA7x and RA9x series. The OpenVMS Wizard will assume that you do not truely want a disk controller that will connect to "any" disk -- as no such universal controller exists for any platform -- but rather that you seek a controller that permits connections to commodity or Compaq SCSI disks. The easiest approach for a system with a BI or Unibus (such as various members of the VAX 8250 series systems) involves the replacement with or the clustering with a newer MicroVAX 3100 or VAXstation 4000 series system supporting native SCSI access. This upgrade also typically provides a significantly faster VAX (or Alpha) CPU and significantly smaller cabinetry. The direct connection would involve the addition of a CI controller and HSJ-series storage controllers, or the acquisition of a (rather rare) BI-to-SCSI adapter, the KZBSA, or the acquisition of a third-party Unibus-to-SCSI adapter -- and a Unibus-based adapter may or may not be entirely reliable "behind" the BI-to-Unibus adapter.
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