Ross Patterson <A024012@RUTVM1>
Tue, 15 Mar 88 12:05:23 EST
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Actually, Phil, the problem is both DEC's and Joiner's, with a
little help from the local system administrator to boot. DEC made
things difficult for the world by not requiring a VAXCluster to be
symetrical. These things aren't like Multi-Porcessor VM systems,
they're acutally several independent, Uni-Processor VMS systems that
share some hardware. Each can have its own SYS$UAF file (the
equivalent of the CP directory), and not all users on node X need to
be allowed on node Y. In fact, there's no requirement that user Q on
cluster node X be the same user as Q on node Y. So that's a strike
against DEC, albeit one that gives their customers better control over
their systems.
Joiner couldn't simply assume that messages directed to Q@CLUSTER
should be sent to any Q logged into any cluster node. They decided to
handle the problem by allowing the system administrator to set a
cluster up as either a single system, sending out messages and mail as
<user>@<clustername>, or as several systems, each sending out meesages
and mail as <user>@<clusternodename>. Either way, mail and messages
will be accepted for <user>@<clusternodename>. Clusters set up the
first way will also accept mail to <user>@<clustername>, but not
messages. So that's a strike against Joiner.
Some system administrators apper to have configured their systems
in such a way as to be unreachable, or difficult to deal with, so
that's one on them.
Ross Patterson
Rutgers University
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