What is the hardware here? |
EVIEVM is a pile of several machines that work together as a single
computer. The CPU is enclosed in the Multiprise 3000 cabinet, and is
about as big as two iPhones put together, side by side. The cabinet has
an integrated disk array (comprised of SSA disks in RAID-5) to provide
both the Support Element (a small x86 computer inside the cabinet) and
S/390 CPU with disk storage. To get more space, I have an IBM xSeries 346
hosting a 6-disk SCSI320 RAID-5 array serving a Bustech ESCON PCI-X card
(which shows up to the host computer as an IBM 3880 or 3990 disk
controller). Networking is processed by two Cisco 2811 routers, one of
which attaches to the mainframe via an X.25 WAN. For taking backups, I
have a Fujitsu M2448E (IBM 3490E but SCSI) external tape, as well as two
4mm DDS tape drives (a DDS-2 and DDS-3).
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What does this computer look like? |
Front view of the
machine, showing the integrated storage and the external storage array
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Is this website really served off a mainframe? |
Yeah, look at the response header or error pages. This is
EnterpriseWeb/VM made by Velocity Software!
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How fast is the CPU? |
Faster than any Hercules instance I've tested, even my 1700 MIPS
emu-box. The CREXXCPS benchmark shows an 8-fold improvement over Hercules
on a 5.4 GHz CPU, so it's not just that Hercules has slow I/O! I did not
believe it would be fast at first, but it really is; this thing can
compile OpenSSL as fast as a Pi 4.
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How fast is the Internal Disk Subsystem? |
I have a ring of 73 GB of 10K-RPM SSA disks, and they scream along
at a rather pleasant "smokes Hercules" speed.
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How fast is the Bustech 3990? |
Significantly slower than the Internal Disk Subsystem or IBM ESS
Shark array. It's not the raw throughput, it's the latency -- the thing
is a PowerPC 603 CPU emulating a 3990!
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How fast is the network interface? |
Faster than a 3172, slower than an OSA; about 40 megabits tops.
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Why is EVIEVM's website so slow, then? |
It's the Cisco 2811, the world's slowest router, not to mention
X.25 being capped at 8 megabits thanks to the synchronous serial
interface.
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I have more questions, how do I reach you? |
Email wec at (the domain name you are currently looking at)!
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