JUNE 1978 - Cont
WACK-O-DAF-Y-NITIONS:
  • kludge/kluj (origin unknown): a system and esp. a computer system made up of components that are poorly matched or were orig. intended for some other use. --Websters
  • bounce pass: put a control block on another module's queue. --ETF
  • out-a-da-middle: removal of a control block from any place in a queue. --ETF
And Now For Something Completely Different:
PROCEDURE FOR FE TO DIAGNOSE DRUM HALTS
  • 4/20/78 (Phrog: This is a misguided SYSTEMS article . Don't let it fool you.)
  • The need for a procedure 1ike the one below was raised by Jim Novacek. Larry Hofmann responded.
  • 1. See if halt is a drum halt. Look for:
    PC=66/327 M=0/O (true for DCOS IV, Rel. 7 or 8)
    If the above is not true, the rest of the procedure does not apply.
  • 2. Record registers and take dump.
  • 3. If F register=1, go to step 6.
  • 4. F register should be 2 thru 6. Error is hardware, indicated by value in F:
    • 2 - Data error
    • 3 - A11 records not transferred
    • 4 - Drum not ready
  • 5. Read contents of memory at 66/216 thru 66/221. This is command on which the error occurred. Decode as illustrated in the FE handbook to determine: drum, track, and cylinder, memory address, command, and number of sectors to be transferred. Save for site history and/or comparison with FE diagnostics. Go to step 7.
  • 6. This type of error can be hardware or software. Call your site SE.
  • 7. Run diagnostics.
Dateline:  April 6, 1978 - HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA
By Jr. Correspondent Bill Harber, Esquire
  • An extremely productive meeting of the Mid-Atlantic district SEs was held on Hilton Head Island, a small Atlantic paradise. Special guests were Don Lincicome of Sunnyvale and SE Manager Gerry Wyatt.
  • An open discussion on the definition of a DPI SE, and his duties and responsibilities aided the managers in developing job descriptions.
  • In addition to regular business, monkey business consisted of chasing small round objects across large green fields, deep sandy pits and watery graves. Don Lincicome quickly learned not to retrieve his golf balls from the water hazards; the floating logs had eyes.
    If the above is not true, the rest of the procedure does not apply.
  • (Phrog: IMAGE receives some pretty raunchy articles, but Jr. Correspondent Harber's takes the cake. Having no paper available, Bill scratched out his report on an airline motion sickness bag. IMAGE thinks it was hint that the editor might need to use it after reviewing Bill's article.)