VAXft Systems, Configuring the Model 810

This document, "Configuring the Model 810" by Digital Equipment Corporation (June 1993), describes the VAXft Model 810, a second-generation fault-tolerant system.

Key aspects summarized include:

1. Fault Tolerance Focus: The system is designed for high availability, featuring fully redundant hardware with no single point of failure or repair, an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), and self-checking mechanisms.
2. Hardware Features: It boasts a VAX CPU providing 30 VUPs (six times faster than its predecessor, Model 610), and an I/O Attachment Module (ATM) for handling I/O interrupts, ensuring bus transparency.
3. Software Features: The Model 810 runs on OpenVMS Operating System Version 5.5-2HF, allowing existing OpenVMS applications to run without modification. It utilizes OpenVMS Volume Shadowing Phase II for data redundancy across disk sets and VAXft System Services Version 2.0 for automatic hardware failover, fault isolation, and comprehensive system management.
4. Configurations: Four main system configurations are available: Single Cabinet Entry, Single Cabinet Packaged, Dual Cabinet Packaged, and Dual Cabinet Advantage Server. All configurations require identical setup for both internal "zones" (memory and disks), and single-cabinet systems can be upgraded to dual-cabinet setups with expansion cabinets for additional storage.
5. Connectivity: The system supports Ethernet connections for LAN communication, including redundant connections to single or multiple Ethernets. A crucial configuration detail is that both system zones must be connected to the same physical Ethernet segment.