Where to get software for V-Class controller workstation?

[bgawert]

I can get a V-Class machine but without the HP 712 controller workstation. I can get a generic 712 but I still need the software required to control the V-Class. Where can I get this software?

Benjamin

[Brian M Rawlings]

Benjamin:

The 712 was replaced by a B180L at some point in the V-class life cycle. Either will work, but the B180L came with V2500/V2600, so this might be a sticking point and a reason to choose one or the other.

It IS possible to get a generic 712 or B180L (recommended) to be the control station, and add the SW, but it takes much more than that. There are several required connections (serial, LAN, etc), special cables, and so forth, that all have to be in place.

In your case, the cables should all already come with the V-class you are looking at (you should ask about them). In other words, if there is no 712, did they keep the controller cables with the V-class, or did they go with the 712?

From the HP 9000 Config Guide:

A4802D provides a workstation & SW (etc) for V2200/V2250

A5489A provides a workstation & SW (etc) for V2500/V2600

For customers with an available workstation, product B6044AA provides SW for V2200/V2250, and product B7148AA provides SW for V2500/V2600.

Only 712/60 or 712/100, or B180L workstations are supported, with this minimum configuration:

19" monitor
64MB
4GB hard drive
2nd serial port with RJ45
Localization kit (keyboard/mouse/powercord)
HP-UX 10.20 (North American localization)
300MB swap
DAT & CDROM drives

Hope this helps! --bmr

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi Benjamin,

BMR is correct.
Besides having the W/S & the SW you'll need both serial & 10/Base2 (Coax) connections to the V-class. They are both required.
So you may need to purchase a NIC for the W/S - the serial port should already be there.

Rgds,
Jeff

[bgawert]

Thanks for Your help! The V-Class should be a V2200 or V2250. Do You think the Kit is still available? And what should I pay for it? A B132L or a 712/60 with two Ethernet Ports is no problem, but somehow I??m sure the Workstation Kit will cost me much more than the V-Class itself.

Anyone knows the layout for the correct serial cable? And what Ethernet Ports does the V-Class have (TP or BNC)?

Kind Regards

Benjamin

[Brian M Rawlings · Accepted solution]

Benjamin: the only place I know where you can get the SW kit is from HP. Contact your HP rep or VAR/Reseller about it. It either still exists, or it doesn't. You should work with them on obtaining it, they may have avenues to explore that I'm not thinking of.

The V-class has CAT-5 UTP Ethernet connections for outside connect (from PCI cards), but the special connection from the console to the V22xx is a BNC connector on the V22xx side. Unless you have a converter/hub that can switch to 10baseT, you'll need BNC on the workstation side as well.

Incidentally, the WS console and all its connections are needed for full-featured control and logging for the V-class, but not necessarily required to boot it up and run it. It has a serial console that allows some simple stuff. Without the BNC ethernet connection, you can't log errors to the WS, but that doesn't mean the V22xx won't boot and run (you are just limited on what you can find out if there are problems).

I don't necessarily suggest running this way, but you may be able to do it as a workaround until you can get the WS thing figured out.

What you really end up with on the WS screen is four windows, one displaying standard console stuff (as if from a K-class or whatever), another just doing a telnet into the V-class over the external/PCI ethernet LAN (like any PC or Unix box could do), and a couple of others with special info coming from the BNC ethernet connection into the heart of the beast (if I recall correctly).

The reason for the special BNC ethernet is that the communication over that channel is NOT tcp/ip, it is a home-grown, unroutable protocol known only to the V-class and its console, with the WS BNC side running a special driver that comes with the special SW kit.

Good luck with this. The kit or SW must be available somewhere (HP, broker, etc). Anyone dealing in V-class servers will know exactly what you need, and why you need it. Anybody who says "Um, I'll have to check on that" is not going to be of much help to you.

Regards, --bmr