Subject: Re: CCL:CONVEX for ab initio calculations

From: [email-masked] (Bruce Wolfe)
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 94 18:10:34 -0500

Mikhail Kuzminsky writes:
|
>  Dear Netters !
>  CONVEX computers are wide used for computational chemistry.
>  May somebody estimate the reliability of CONVEX C120 or CONVEX C3xxx
>  for a case of large e scale non-empirical calculations (for example,G92
>  24h per day :-) ) :
>  
>  -  how many years will succesfully work magnetic disks
>  -  how long is mean time between computer failures
>     etc.
>  
>  Mikhail Kuzminsky,
>  Institute of Organic Chemistry Russian Ac. of Sci.,
>  Moscow
>  [email-masked]

A Convex C120 has a MTBF of 15294 hours. 

A Convex C3210 has a MTBF of 6024 hours. 

A Convex C3240 has a MTBF of 2457 hours. 

A Convex C3410 has a MTBF of 2987 hours. 

A Convex C3440 has a MTBF of 1563 hours. 

A Convex C3820 has a MTBF of 1204 hours. (We don't have enough C3810's to 
quote numbers)

A Convex C3880 has a MTBF of 1035 hours. 

That includes all peripherals except terminals. It's configuration is
an aggregate configuration based on all US installations. Removal of 
an item constitutes a failure even if it is not verified as bad upon 
retest.

We have many disks with over ten years operation on them. I would
expect between 8-15 years to be a good useful life. Technology seems
to determine when disks need to be replaced more than wearout does.
MTBF for our disks is generally in the 200,000 to 300,000 hour range.
RAID can improve that if needed or if the data is extremely critical.

If you are interested, I can have a salesperson call you. A detailed 
MTBF can be provided for a specific configuration.

                              ___
			     (o o)
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Bruce Wolfe					Convex Computer Corporation
Reliability Manager				3000 Waterview Pkwy
(214) 497-4722					Mail Station QAE
[email-masked]				Richardson, TX  75080

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