System upgrade -- info needed..

[don at doug.med.utah.edu]

We went through exactly what you are doing two years ago.  (Does anyone
know where we can unload a Gould Dianza IP-8500 and a Vax 11/750??  The
Vax is easy but we have yet to find any one intrested in the Dianza at any
price.)

When we made the switch there was only one choice as far as a good
workstation is concerned.  That was sun.  Today there are several:

1. IBM and their RIOS 6000.  Supplies are extremly limited today and if
   early benchmark attempts are any indication they are still a year away
   from having a product that can really work.  Most of the test did not run
   on their machines.

2. Dec and their new line of unix like boxes.  One has to wonder about
   their stratedgy with Unix and VMS.  Even today we would stay away from the
   Unix boxes.

3. That leaves SUN which from the brief reasons above the reason we chose
   them and would again today.  If you would like to discuss things futher
   please give me a call and I would be very happy to talk things over.

In answer to your specific questions.
> 1) Are there any reasons for choosing one particular workstation for use
>    in developing image processing applications? (or reasons not to choose a
>    particular one)

My experience from a system adminstration point of view, you want to stick
with one manufacture and pref. one type of workstation. It makes upgrades
etc. much easier.  We are however a mixed shop today Sun 3/s, Sun 4's,
Sparcstations, Ardent Tiaton, and a new one coming (a steleado?) from
Stardent.

> 2 How difficult is it to develop and X-windows applications that support
>   multiple platforms (we know it is possible, but in the real world, what is
>   it like?)

Sticking with the approved features of X we have not had any problems at
all.  (Surprise, surprise).  It looks like someone came up with a very
good idea.  Be prepared for a large amount of disk dedicated to X though.
By the time that you have a version running and then get a second one to
begin the upgrade to the next release it eats a lot of disk.  But that
seems to be true with any windowing system.  After a Vax though windows
will be like a dreamland.

> 3) For anyone who has a VMS/Unix shop, what are the difficulties in the
>   systems coexisting with each other?

We are still running our Vax (some people just can't seem to get their
project done, and refuse to move until then) here and the issues are
moving our data between the two machines.  FTP seems to be the medium of
choice.  We also have tried Sun DNI stuff and get random hangs and
crashes.  We then switched to a package by KI software and are able to
from the Suns carry on sessions on the VAX and move data back and forth
with no problems.  They also have a packages that runs LAT on the Suns.
So the investment in terminals and servers can still be of some use on the
Suns.  Strictly from a text point of view.  No windows, of image
presentations.

Good luck, in your transition and again if you would like to get the
details on our war stories give me a call.

Don Baune                      Internet: don at doug.med.utah.edu
University of Utah             
Medical Imaging Research Lab   
AC-215  School  of  Medicine       talk:        (801) 581-6088
Salt Lake City, Utah   84132        FAX:        (801) 581-2414