On 8/6/15 10:43 AM, Dave G4UGM wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Chuck
Guzis
Sent: 06 August 2015 17:24
To: [email protected]; [email protected]:On-Topic and Off-
Topic Posts <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Booting an IBM MP 3000 S/390 System
On 08/06/2015 08:04 AM, Sean Caron wrote:
If you think the MP3000 is a slow booter, we just got some new 4U
machines in where I work; 1.5TB RAM; those things take almost 20
minutes to POST - no joke!
Booting an old CDC 6000-series machine meant mounting a "deadstart"
tape, pushing the button just below the screens on the DD60, entering or
editing the equipment status table, then going out for a smoke (not me) or a
cup of coffee, while the system copied the deadstart tape to disk.
The next prompt was to enter the date and time.
People are too impatient today.
--Chuck
Actually I remember booting an IBM4381 from cold after we shut it down over
Christmas. Just pressing the Power button powered it up eventually, but I am
pretty sure it took nearly an hour to get to the IPL prompt. So it did disk
drives, then tape drives, then other bits and bobs. But when it spun up the
disks it brought them up one at a time so the startup surges didn't trip the
main breaker. The same with the tape drives. Then it loaded the microcode into
all the controllers. Then it booted the OS. As we were running VM this last bit
took a few seconds (I think). I do know if VM crashed you screen logo
frequently re-appeared before you had time to think.
What freaked me out about the MP3000 is how long it takes from the time
you hit the power switch until *anything* happens (like fans spinning).
There's a lot being checked out during power up and that takes time.
TTFN - Guy
