Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: User limit in VS4000
From: hansher@bclcl1.im.battelle.org (Kevin Hansher, Battelle Computing Center)
Date: 17 Nov 92 07:49:58 EST
Organization: Battelle, Columbus, OH

In article <BxLt9C.12J@aplcenmp.apl.jhu.edu>, theune@aplcenmp.apl.jhu.edu (Peter Theune) writes:
> system@NIUHEP.PHYS.NIU.EDU writes:
> 
>>>I've got a VaxStation 4000 VLC, with an interactive user limit of 2.
>>>I asked for a more extensive limit, and people from local's Digital
>>>told me that even they install another VMS license, hardware prevents
>>>that the number of interactive users gets over 2.
> 
>>Bullfinches! I just logged into a VLC under three usernames (the last one
>>to log in was unprivledged, only one had extra privs).
>>There was rumors of a policy not to allow more than 2 logins (which was
>>{damn, I'm not in edit mode} because of the extra power of the 4000s and
>>the low price, DEC didn't want people using the 4000 in place of microvaxes.
>>(dumb idea in my opinion given what they are competing against.)  In fact
>>I believe we ran into that policy, but we have the CSLG :) which allows us
>>,as an educational institution to have infinite logins.
>>Robert Morphis
>>system%niu.hepnet@lbl          BITNET
>>system@phys.niu.edu            INTERNET
>>NIU::SYSTEM                    HEPNET
> 
> Robert,
> 
> I suspect that you logged in as an X term session, for some reason the
> license fac doesn't check for them. You can have as many x sessions as
> you can stand.
> 
> The VLC uses a class D workstation license, which normally allows two
> sessions. You cannot even "set host 0" after the second session is
> started. You can however have many users connected via Xterm.
> 
> There _IS_ a special 8 user license available, but you must speak the
> magic words to get it, and depending on the regional office, it can be
> either very cheap or very expensive. Ours cost us 23 dollars (US) a
> couple of years ago for a similar situation with a vaxserver 3600. The
> situation with the servers is even more severe than with the VS, the
> server allows only one user, not counting the console. If a user is
> logged on at opa0, then no one else can get on. (servers use a class C
> license I think).
> 
> Anyway, the bottom line is; use X. 
> 
> Also, I think that UCX (the dec tcp/ip package) does not check users,
> but this might have been changed.
> 
> Peter.
> 
> 

Well I will speak for a non-educational site (in the U.S.) who is going
through this right now on a VS3100.  There are two part numbers to allow
you up to 8 logins - I don't know personally if you can go higher.  Anyway,
QL-001AC-BR is an upgrade license from 2-4 users and QL-001AC-B8 is the
part number for an upgrade to a 5-8 user license.  Again, this is what
is being ordered for a VAXstation 3100, but I would bet the VS4000's are
either the same part number or at least, available.

We are doing this because we are running VCS on a VS3100 and need more than
2 users at times.  We have used X to create remote displays on-site and
get around this (quite legal I might add), but obviously this won't work
off-site (no ethernet), plus we have a couple of VCS users who do not have
X capable displays.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Hansher			Symposium Session Quality Coordinator -
Battelle		        U.S. DECUS VMS Systems SIG
505 King Avenue	                Internet:	hansher@bclcl1.im.battelle.org
Columbus,  OH  43201		Voice: 614-424-4008  Fax:  614-424-5263