[NCSA-discuss] SCO nfs

[Joseph Mack NA3T]

On Sat, 5 May 2012, Steve Wolfe wrote:

>> yes. I don't know why they'd want to run as a VM. All 
>> they have now is a single non-networked machine. It's all 
>> they want and it works fine, except they're out of disk 
>> space now, their backup system probably doesn't work, and 
>> one day they'll need a new mobo/computer when this one 
>> dies.
>
> Several on the list are afraid to power that machine off

I saw that, but it didn't register.

> much less pick a new motherboard. quick quick .. what 
> motherboard can anyone find that will work with that 
> system TODAY much less 5 years from now.

I see. They should have bought 20yrs worth of mobo's back 
10yrs ago, not today. This one is all IDE. I expect the 
south and north bridge (and everything) are all different 
today.

There's probably any number of this type of mobo available 
on electronics recycling day or on craigslist for $50.

> Since it does go up and down at the moment, might be good 
> to image the machine to make a good backup

It will be the first thing I do. Until I have a plan and 
they hand me a SoW, I'm not touching the machine (other than 
to look at it).

> .. better to be able get it going on some other box.  And 
> they might be able to find another disk and/or another 
> disk controller that will keep them limping along.

Their immediate problem is being out of disk space, which 
can be fixed without upgrades or irreversible operations on 
the machine. The next problem, which they don't have to 
solve anytime real soon (unless the machine dies, they don't 
have a duplicate) is to keep their software running.

> Of course, their business might crater when this box dies 
> and the discussion has echos of "really really cheap" at 
> the moment.

Having paid for much hardware myself, I come from this 
school. Are you saying that this is business and business 
needs their computer running no matter what, in which case 
there is plenty of money and I should think in terms of 
doing something useful for the business and to not worry 
about money a whole lot?

> more on track: VMs recently have been an interesting way 
> to preserve Software Investment to run on newer Hardware.

hmm. never thought of that.

> The idea is to image the old system .. plunk it it on the new system

I thought you had to install from scratch into a VM. Am I 
wrong? You can bring up the old image?

> several things happen:
> .. modern hardware support.. if you fear the old stuff will stop working
> .. everything just keeps working if the vm is good enough

So I should expect the VM to present a south bridge, disk 
controller and video controller from 2000 era hardware?

.. which often it is.
> .. modern backup .. just copy the vm from time to time.
> .. the whole thing usually runs faster on the newer gear.
> .. often a discussion is about how to run some late 1990s early 2000s
> windows or linux machine with networking

You're saying I should expect a VM to handle it and they can 
have their 2000 era IDE/vt100/curses machine forever?

> ..  I am uncertain how serial terminals would run

ttyS have been with us since the '70s. Let's hope they 
haven't changed much.

Thanks for the ideas

Joe

-- 
Joseph Mack NA3T EME(B,D), FM05lw North Carolina
jmack (at) wm7d (dot) net - azimuthal equidistant map
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