RT-11 and multiple MSCP Controller

[cbscpe]

I have done a RT-11 SYSGEN and added a second MSCP DU controller (ports=0). However, I don''t know how to talk to the second MSCP controller.

In simh I have attached a disk image to unit0 of RQB and now I don't know which parameters I have to give "SET DU".

Also i can only address DU0:, DU1: and DU2: there is no way I can add a DU3: on the first harddisk

sim> show rqb
RQB     address=17772144-17772147, vector=150, BR5, RQDX3, 4 units
  RQB0  159MB, attached to sms-uc07.dsk, write enabled
        RD54, autosize, SIMH format
  RQB1  159MB, not attached, write enabled
        RD54, autosize, SIMH format
  RQB2  159MB, not attached, write enabled
        RD54, autosize, SIMH format
  RQB3  159MB, not attached, write enabled
        RD54, autosize, SIMH format
sim> show rq
RQ      address=17772150-17772153, vector=154, BR5, RQDX3, 4 units
  RQ0   159MB, attached to sms-1009.dsk, write enabled
        RD54, autosize, SIMH format
  RQ1   159MB, not attached, write enabled
        RD54, autosize, SIMH format
  RQ2   159MB, not attached, write enabled
        RD54, autosize, SIMH format
  RQ3   409KB, not attached, write enabled
        RX50, autosize, SIMH format
sim>

when in RT-11 I could initialize DU1: and DU2: (DU0: has the system) but adding a DU3: does not work, I have tried all sorts of parameter. Seems I missed something

.dir du2:
 

 0 Files, 0 Blocks
 65467 Free blocks

.set du3: part=3 unit=0

.dir du3:
?DIR-F-Error reading directory

.ini du3:
DU3:/Initialize; Are you sure? Y
?DUP-F-Size function failed

.

.set du4: part=0 unit=4

.ini du4:
DU4:/Initialize; Are you sure? Y
?DUP-F-Size function failed

.set du4: part=0 port=1 unit=4

.ini du4:
DU4:/Initialize; Are you sure? Y
?DUP-F-Size function failed

.set du4: port=1 part=0 unit=1

.ini du4:
DU4:/Initialize; Are you sure? Y
?DUP-F-Size function failed

.

When booting the device du shows the following

.show devices:du

Device    Status                   CSR     Vector(s)
------    ------                   ---     ---------
  DU      Resident                172150   154 150

          DU0: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  0, PART =  0
          DU1: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  0, PART =  1
          DU2: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  0, PART =  2
          DU3: is set PORT =  1, UNIT =  0, PART =  0
          DU4: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  1, PART =  0
          DU5: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  5, PART =  0
          DU6: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  6, PART =  0
          DU7: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  7, PART =  0



.

but I have no idea what is wrong

 

[cbscpe]

Ok found it, apparently you have to boot after you have changed the settings of an individual unit

.show dev:du

Device    Status                   CSR     Vector(s)
------    ------                   ---     ---------
  DU      Resident                172150   154 150

          DU0: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  0, PART =  0
          DU1: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  0, PART =  1
          DU2: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  0, PART =  2
          DU3: is set PORT =  0, UNIT =  0, PART =  3
          DU4: is set PORT =  1, UNIT =  4, PART =  0
          DU5: is set PORT =  1, UNIT =  4, PART =  1
          DU6: is set PORT =  1, UNIT =  4, PART =  2
          DU7: is set PORT =  1, UNIT =  4, PART =  3



.dir du3:
 11-Jan-2020

 0 Files, 0 Blocks
 65467 Free blocks

.dir du7:
 11-Jan-2020
?DIR-F-Invalid directory 

.ini du7:
DU7:/Initialize; Are you sure? Y

.dir du7:
 11-Jan-2020

 0 Files, 0 Blocks
 65467 Free blocks

.

 

[Terry Kennedy]

Ok found it, apparently you have to boot after you have changed the settings of an individual unit

The PDP-11 operating systems were rather persnickity about multiple MSCP controllers and the unit numbers of the drives (for example, RA81s) attached to each. Somewhere around here I have the RSTS/E article I helped write about this.

For a fun time (assuming you have all data backed up), try swapping unit numbers between drives on 2 different controllers. Hilarity results. Or panic, depending on whether or not you know where your most recent backups are.

VMS gets around this by disambiguating with DUA0:, DUB2:, etc. I don't know if RSX did that as well or if that is a pure VMS-ism.

 

[cbscpe]

What you need to know how each controller allocates units to its attached disks and which is the starting LUN. In the case of the RQDX this is well documented, however it took some time for me to learn that simh starts automatically with LUN 4 for rqb, the second controller.

The UC07 is different and the SMS-0107 I then finally used adds another flavour to it. Once this is known and once you are aware that changes to the device settings require a boot it is very easy

 

[bqt]

The PDP-11 operating systems were rather persnickity about multiple MSCP controllers and the unit numbers of the drives (for example, RA81s) attached to each. Somewhere around here I have the RSTS/E article I helped write about this.

For a fun time (assuming you have all data backed up), try swapping unit numbers between drives on 2 different controllers. Hilarity results. Or panic, depending on whether or not you know where your most recent backups are.

VMS gets around this by disambiguating with DUA0:, DUB2:, etc. I don't know if RSX did that as well or if that is a pure VMS-ism.

RSX is sortof in between. In the normal system, you only have DUn: device names.
At SYSGEN, you specify for each device name, what controller and unit number this should map to.
In the configuration utility, however, the naming is as in VMS.

So, you can reuse the same unit numbers on multiple controllers. You can also use different unit numbers. The system will never be confused as such, but you might be.