Hidden Value January 2005

Hidden Value details commands and procedures in MPE that can improve your productivity with HP 3000 systems. Send your tips to john@burke-consulting.com

Edited by John Burke

I recently acquired an HP 3000 937LX, with no video output, but only a mini-DIN port for attaching a serial console. What are the pinouts, or is there an adaptor for this port?

Alfredo Rego replies:
I made a cable for my Mac PowerBook thus:

DB9 to MD6 (male) 3 3 2 4 5 1
If you use a PC, you can plug the DB9 connector directly to your serial port. On my Mac, I use a USB adapter. The MD6 connector goes into your HP 3000’s console port.

I am running FILERPT from the Contributed Software Library. After reading the logfiles, it summarizes like this:

Number of types of log records:
# Records Type

29013 5 : File Close
21 102 : NM Log: Job init
6 103 : NM Log: Job termination
49 115 : NM Log: console
16513 205 :

I am getting high numbers for log type 205. What is log type 205, since SYSGEN SYSLOG will only go up to 163?

Bill Cadier replies:
Log type 205 is the Posix file close record type. Turn on type 105 and 205 is also on for any files whose names are in the Posix namespace. While I’ve never seen this used, the code says we now use type 305 for large files (>4GB).

I want to upgrade my tape drives from a DDS-3 to either a DLT8000, or an LTO drive. I know about the DLT drive, but can the LTO work on the 3000? What are the pros and cons?

Denys Beauchemin replies:
Yes, you can have an LTO Ultrium drive on an HP 3000. It must be a PCI-architecture machine (A- or N-Class) and must be running 7.5 with a patch. The pros are simple. Given a proper machine (an un-crippled model of N-Class server) and the appropriate backup software, you can really get some speed on the backups. Another benefit is the amount of data that will fit on an LTO Ultrium tape. The LTO Ultrium tape holds 100Gb native, and adds compression for even greater capacity.

The cons? Cost, for one. The other is the fact you have so much data on one tape. If you lose the tape or it’s bad, you can have some issues. The main issue you will face in using LTO is being able to feed the tape fast enough. The MPE machines are slow, unless you have the uncrippled N-4000, preferably multiprocessor, with some fast disk drives. Even if you could connect the LTO drive to non-PCI systems (bypassing the problem of connecting LVD devices to HVD HBAs, which can be done with more hardware) they are far too slow to properly use an LTO. DLT is the best you can do.

What is the easiest way to install a laser network printer on a remote network?

John Pitman replies:
The only necessary things are that the printer is reachable over the network, and it is PCL capable. We have 3000s in Australia, Houston, and China, coupled by VPN, and anybody in any site can print on a printer in any other site that is configured on their local system. PCs on the local net can use them too, if configured.