[9fans] original cpu server

[erik quanstrom]

while on the subject of ancient things,
does anyone know what hardware the
first (or even proto-) cpu server ran on?

i hope i haven't missed the answer in
the archive.

- erik

Re: [9fans] original cpu server

[Rob Pike]

the first attempt was on a multi-headed vax whose model number escapes
me. it was pretty foul architecturally.

in early 1989 a restart was done for the 25-MHz mips CPU inside a
4-headed SGI shared-memory multiprocessor. the CPU had no
synchronizing instructions but the SGI machine had a special piece of
shared memory with locking properties. the kernel muxed locks onto
sections of that memory.  that system became real. a second machine
became the file server.

-rob

Re: [9fans] original cpu server

[Benjamin Huntsman]

does anyone know what hardware the
first (or even proto-) cpu server ran on?

I thought the original CPU server was the SGI Power 4D, with the i960-based 
optical connection.

...unless there was something older?

-Ben
winmail.dat