Q & A Repository

Subject: RE: We Need Help

Posted By: Thomas Junker
Date: 7/15/02 at 12:02 a.m.

In Response To: RE: We Need Help (Thomas Junker)

Subject: RE: We Need Help

Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 01:48:21 -0500

On 16 Oct 97 at 14:58, xxxx wrote:

> Thomas,
>
> Thank you again for your thoughts. I now have more information:
>
> [unrelated omitted]

> 2. Our Wang hardware is a Wang VS300 with a CPU type CP8

As you can see in my VS Model Characteristics page, your CPU has a performance benchmark rating of 750 on Wang's FAST scale. The VS6230, a current machine, is rated at 1150. The VS6230T, a software upgrade to the 6230, is rated at 1950.

> 3. Our operating system is Wang OS 7.21

Old, but one of the checkpoint OS versions that was supported until very recently, probably because some key government or contract customers were still using 7.21. 7.21.00 had some serious bugs and was almost instantly updated to 7.21.01 and eventually to (I think) 7.21.09. The FSM government was on 7.21.00 when I worked there in 1992, and Pacific Data Systems, the Wang dealer for the Pacific, refused to update the OS, claiming it was perfectly serviceable. One of the bugs was BACKUP's inability to restore files split over tape volumes, something one doesn't discover until it is too late.

> 4. We have not been on Wang maintenance for over a decade because Wang
> closed their office here.

I'm surprised it has been that long.

> 5. We have engaged DSSI (Bob Vierck) to provide our maintenance for over a
> decade.

I was very impressed with what I learned of them in 1992. I had recommended to the FSM that they switch to DSSI. The Marshall Islands had pursuaded Wang HQ to let them get their maintenance from Wang in Honolulu even though the Marshalls were in PDS's territory because they were so completely dissatisfied with PDS, Wang's dealer in Guam. I recommended DSSI because Wang failed to respond to my calls as Computer Advisor to the National Government of the FSM. They were in the throes of the bankruptcy.

> 6. DSSI has been unable to solve our Wang stability problems.

I know of VS300's still running like clocks, but I would be wary of a cabinet that old. A client of mine had weird problems with a 7150, the symptom always the same -- corruption of one single, large file. The box was replaced by Wang with a loaner VS10000 while the CE tried various major maintenance actions, each followed by days-long diagnostic runs (the problem was intermittent with a long interval). Eventually he thought he found a clock module on the motherboard that could be causing the problem and replaced it. I'm not sure it ended there, but the machine was later put back into service and the loaner returned to Wang. As much as I believe DSSI is a good service company with a good attitude, I always recommend keeping at least the CPU and its internal controllers, and the OS under manufacturer maintenance if at all possible. That is because only the manufacturer has full control and knowledge of engineering rev levels and access to virtually unlimited replacement parts, even entire replacement systems.

You might be able to pick up a 7000-series VS quite cheaply, even at scrap prices. The advantage would be twofold: First, you replace a troublesome cabinet, motherboard, power supply(ies), etc., cheaply and with newer, more reliable components. Second, you could shop for something like a 7380, which would give you twice the performance of your 300. The XX80 machines have a performance rating of 1500.

This option could be much less expensive than you imagine. All the IO boards are the same as far as I know.

> 7. I will try to get a hold of Bernard Mendis. Thank you for the
> referral.

You're very welcome.

> 8. We have to find out what it would cost us to upgrade our OS.
> Do you know who to call?

The OS comes only from Wang. No one else is authorized to distribute it. There are probably two ways to get it: Order an upgrade and pay the per-incident support charge, or put the CPU under hardware/software maintenance (software only might be an option if they really have no one in Hawaii). As a maintenance customer you are automatically entitled to things like OS upgrades.

Wang may be reached at 800-639-WANG (9264 for those who prefer digits).

I would concurrently check prices of VS7380's. If it turns out you can pick up a 7380 for little or nothing more than the shipping cost and can get one with a reasonable assurance that it will run, you could put that in place before signing up with or ordering anything from Wang, and that way start off with the newer processor.

> 9. We also are concerned about upgrading our operating system
> because we lost some of our source code (for necessary programs)
> and suspect that an operating system upgrade would require us to
> recompile. Without the source code, we're dead in the water.

I'm not aware of any recompilation issues going from 7.21 to 7.50 or higher. The thing that has affected most customers somewhere along the route from 7.21 to 7.53 is the requirement to handle device numbers higher than 255 incidental to growth of their system configurations. I am reasonably sure that in your case neither recompilation nor device numbers will be issues. The only recompilation requirement I recall occurred around version 7.10 or 7.13, when some pretty fundamental changes were made to the OS, but even that didn't affect everything. I am running object I compiled in 1986 under OS 6.21 or 6.43, although that is no guarantee of anything for your software.

> 10. Year 2000 compliance is not an issue for us because we've
> already bought new software and hardware and have begun the new
> system implementation process. We expect to shut down our Wang
> VS system in mid 1998.

I'm sorry to hear that you are already committed to leaving the VS platform. In the odd twists and turns of modern technology it may become possible in the next few years, when you have already left the VS behind, for you to run your VS object on an emulator running on a 500mHz or 800mHz DEC Alpha or Intel chip. Such an emulator already exists at the proof-of-concept stage, capable of running limited VS programs such as EDITOR, DISPLAY, and COBOL on a Pentium 200 for a single user at about the speed of a VS6. It's unclear whether the emulator will ever get to market, but if it does there will be VS software running long after the VS has disappeared.

> Again, thank you for your comments.

And again, you're very welcome.

Regards,

Thomas Junker

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