@device(postscript)
@style(font allpostscriptfonts, size 12, spacing 0 lines, indent 0.0 inches, topmargin 0.75 inches, bottommargin 0.75 inches)
@tabset(1.5 inches)

@center(
@begin(transparent, font avantgarde, size 18)@i(M.I.T. Ocean Engineering) @end(transparent)@begin(transparent, font helvetica, size 18)@y(B)@end(transparent)@begin(transparent, font souvenir, size 18) @p(Project Athena)@end(transparent)
)

@bar(0)

@begin(transparent, font souvenir, size 14)

TO:@\Earll Murman, Director of Project Athena

CC:@\Connie Correia, Paul Sclavounos, Sharon Trohon, 

   @\T. F. Ogilvie

FROM:@\Ian Busch, Ocean Engineering Athena Cluster Manager

SUBJ:@\Athena Cluster Hardware Upgrade

DATE:@\6 December, 1989

@bar(0)
@end(transparent)
@blankspace(1 lines)

@begin(transparent, font newcenturyschoolbook)

@b(@u(Current Status))

The Ocean Engineering Athena Cluster has experienced a significant increase in
usage over the past semester.  One of the primary reasons is the very large 
proportion of graduate to undergraduates in the department (by far the highest in the School of Engineering).  When the availability of Athena resources to graduate students was expanded and publicized this 
last September, the usage of the cluster rose dramatically.  Several courses now include athena based applications in their work (13.021, 13.50, 13.412, 13.461, 13.68, and 13.00 among others). In previous semesters students were only turned away for lack of terminals at the very end of the term.  This is now becoming common-place.

The equipment in the OE cluster is some of the oldest currently supported by Athena (VAXstation II's and VAXstation II/RC's).  Recently, these terminals have become a real hardware headache.  One terminal in particular has faced over 40 hours of DEC on-site servicing.  The other terminals are also demonstrating continuing hardware problems.  

One of the most recent acquisitions funded by the Ocean Engineering department is the addition of a Houston Instruments DMP-60A large format plotter.  This is currently being used in conjunction with some applications programs on Athena as well as for AutoCAD driven by an IBM PC compatible.  The interest in computer aided design in the OE department is very high, yet the only facilities available for it are PC based.  Currently, three courses in OE make extensive use of CAD (13.412, 13.413, and 13.461).  Further integration of a more advanced CAD capability with the existing equipment would be a great bonus.  

Some of the applications programs, as well as user written code, are tremendous number crunchers (hydrodynamic flow codes, for example).  On the current workstations some of the interactive programs exhibit distressing run time pauses that do not occur on the faster machines now being installed.  Some of the user written codes have up to two hour run-times on the existing equipment. 

@b(@u(Proposed Programme))

The proposed programme has four major components:

@begin(itemize)
Increased Number of Terminals

Increased Capability Terminals

Some Color Displays 

Support Equipment (Printer and Plotter Servers)
@end(itemize)

The new equipment would consist of ten VAXstation 3100's to replace six of the existing VAXstation II/RC terminals.  Of the ten, four would have color monitors for CAD and engineering applications.  To serve the increasing volume of high speed processing requirements (primarily for hydrodynamics) either one or two DECstation 3100's should be included in the above totals.  In addition, one of the replaced terminals would be converted to a dedicated printer-server.  One VAXstation II would be retained and provided with a TK-50 tape drive.  This is the terminal configured to run the plotter.  New and updated documentation would also be provided.  The Ocean Engineering Department will continue to support the additional tables, security systems, and other related equipment.  For the current and post-programme configurations of the cluster please see the attachments. 

@blankspace(1 inch)

@bar(0)

Ian Busch, O.E. Cluster Manager, 7-321/5-228, x3-0050, irbusch

@blankspace(1 inch)

@bar(0)

Paul Sclavounos, O.E. Project Athena Faculty Representative




@newpage(0)

@b(@u(Attachments:))

1: Comparison of Existing and Proposed Configurations

2: Current Cluster Arrangement

3: Projected Cluster Arrangement




@newpage(0)
@b(@ux(Attachment 1: Comparison of Existing and Proposed Configurations))

@blankspace(1 line)
@blankspace(1 line)

@begin(transparent, spacing -0.5 lines)
@tabdivide(3)

Capability        @\Current Configuration @\Proposed Configuration

@blankspace(0.5 lines)

@bar(0)

@blankspace(0.5 lines)

Total Number of

Available Terminals@\8                     @\12

@blankspace(1 line)

High Speed Processing@\None                @\2 Workstations

@blankspace(1 line)

Color Capability   @\None                  @\4 Workstations

@blankspace(1 line)

Printer Service    @\Off Workstation       @\Dedicated Server

@blankspace(1 line)


@end(transparent)



@end(transparent)