The only reason that this is at all interesting is that we have a chicken and egg problem. The Dicentras get booted from D0s. D0s need a time server before they can get started. The Dicentras are the main time servers around PARC. That could cause some fun if this whole building gets powered off.

Beware, this memo contains many topological details. Things will probably have changed by the time anybody needs to use this memo. Remember to save a hardcopy. You won't be able to get to the file servers when this memo is really interesting.

There are two sets of boot files for D0s. One gets the time from an NS Time Server on the first 10MB net. These files are used on Nebula and NewWing. The other gets the time from a Pup Time Server on the first 3MB net. These are used on Brio and IO.

All the Dicentras in Bldg 35 get booted from Nebula or NewWing. Once you get them both going, everything else should be easy.

Nebula gets it's time from net 131 on the second floor. Hubbard (in the MAXC room) and Lowell (in 2250) both boot themselves from Nebula via net 131. Once you get Nebula up, they should spring to life and provide time on net 204. (They have probably been trying to boot themselves ever since power to the building came back.) Once you get either of them going, NewWing should come up.

NewWing gets it's time from net 204 on the first floor. Logan (in the MAXC room) and Dusty (in 2520) both normally boot from net 204. They also connect to all 3 10MB nets in this building. Once you get NewWing up, Logan and Dusty should come up and provide time on the other 10MB nets, in particular, net 131 on the second floor which is needed to get Nebula going.

So all we have to do is get an NS Time Server going on net 131 or net 204.

I don't remember actually going through this recently, but John Cottriel told me everything worked fine the last time they tried it in CP-10.

DLions have a clock that keeps running even when they are turned off. It doesn't have a battery, so if you unplug them or throw the breaker, the clock gets reset. Othello tries to get the time from the net. If that doesn't work, it checks the clock. If the clock looks reasonable, it plunges on. As a last resort, it asks you to type in the time, and uses what you type in to reset the hardware clock.

Once you have typed in the time, just boot the Gateway volume like normal. Tajo will also try to get the time from the net. While it's doing that, the MP will show 937. Normally, it only takes a second, so you won't see the 937 unless you are looking for it. If there aren't any time servers on the net, Tajo will wait (with 937 in the MP) for several seconds. If the hardware clock is set and the value looks reasonable, it plunges on. Otherwise, it keeps waiting.

Once the first time server is going, you should be able to start the other machines without typing in the time again.

Unfortunately, we don't have any DLion PupGateways around PARC. Well, there is almost one in my office. It is used for testing new code. It;s name is HGMsDebuggee. It's the one on the right. Unfortunately, it's disk isn't big enough for Othello, so the problem isn't solved yet.

If you can find an Othello floppy, use it to set the time manually. Don't bother looking around my office. I don't have any floppys. Once the time is set, boot the Gateway volume. (That's the only volume.) Once Tajo comes up, run @Phone. (If you just Run PupGateway, things will dive into 915 because the phone head wasn't loaded.) HGMsDebuggee is on the second floor net. Once it is running, you should be able to boot Nebula.

I've never tried this, but it should all just work. We have several official product servers scattered around this building. If you can get one of them up, it should provide the time needed to get Nebula or NewWing off the ground. Once you get either of them going, you can a Dicentra started and then you can get the other D0 started. Once both Nebula and NewWing are going, the rest should be easy.

This is the fun part. It's possible to "Ether" boot Dicentras over 10MB nets, 3MB nets, and phone lines. The T1 lines to EMS and Bayhill look like 3MB nets. Unless the whole city has been powered down, this is probably the simplest way to go.

If Bayhill is alive, you can boot Hubbard (Alt-Boot 1280) from Bayhill. The parameter file in HGMsToy isn't setup yet.

If EMS is alive, you can boot Hubbard (Alt-Boot 2280) from down there. I've done it!

If ICL is alive, you can boot Logan (Alt-Boot 2280) from over there. The necessary boot file isn't on Cherry yet, but it is on Golden.

Hubbard and Logan are both connected to nets 204 and 131, so once you get either of them running, it should be easy to start Nebula and NewWing.

Logan (in the MAXC room) is the only connection to ICL. Ogilvie, the Dicentra in ICL, boots from Golden or Cherry via net 5. Golden uses the funny boot files and gets it's time from net 5. If Logan is up, it should be easy to restart Golden and/or Cherry. Once either of them is up, Ogilvie should come up too. If both Golden and Cherry get killed by power problems, it is possible to adjust Logan's parameter file so that you can boot Ogilvie through Logan. If Logan is down, you can probably get ICL going by typing the time into Cherry.

Hubbard (in the MAXC room) is the only connection to EMS and XAIS. Valerie, the Dicentra in EMS, boots from BRIO or IO via net 25. BRIO also uses the funny boot files and gets it's time from net 25. If Hubbard is alive, I suggest EtherBooting Valerie through Hubbard (Alt-Boot 1280). Then BRIO and IO will come up normally. If Hubbard is down, you can probably get EMS and XAIS going by typing the time into IO.

Muldrow is the Dicentra at XAIS on Hanover St. It normally boots from BRIO. If BRIO is dead, you should be able to Alt-Boot (0280) from Eris. The necessary boot file isn't on Eris yet. If all of EMS is dead, you should be able to get Muldrow started by typing the time into Eris and Alt-Booting Muldrow from Eris.

Another possibility for getting Valerie started would be to boot through Muldrow from Eris. I don't think there is any point in doing that since it's easier to boot through Hubbard, and if Hubbard isn't working there isn't any place to go anyway.

If NewWing or Nebula gets killed by whatever dropped the power, you can probably boot most of the Dicentras by using the Alt-Boot button. The critical machines are Seward - phone lines to Wbst and EP3, Hubbard - T1 lines to EMS/XAIS and Bayhill, and Logan - net 5 to ICL.

You can boot Seward from Wbst (Alt-Boot 1260). It takes forever. Seward is connected to net 131, but not net 204 so this won't solve anything if Nebula is broken.

You should be able to boot Seward from EP3 (Alt-Boot 0260). The parameter file is setup yet. Seward is connected to net 131, but not net 204 so this won't solve anything if Nebula is broken.

Ivy also has the files for Pup booting Dicentras. Alt-Boot 1280 will boot Logan from Ivy and Alt-Boot 0280 will boot Hubbard from Ivy. This may not get too far. Dicentras may need to set their time from an NS time server.

It should also be possible to boot Dusty from Pasadena or Barnard from Portland. Again, the parameter files are not setup yet and it will take a long long time.

I suppose if things get really desperate, it would be possible to type the time into Ivy and Indigo, get them going, use an Alto (on net 3) to make sure that the right boot files are there so you can EtherBoot Nebula. I think you will have to unplug the 10MB boards. Anyway, the crazy idea I'm hinting at is to get the boot files onto Nebula that set their time from the Pup/3MB world.

At various times, we have talked about parking a copy of PupGateway on the back corner of a few DLion with room to spare on their disks. Assuming that the disk already had Othello, this would be a sure fire way to get going again. It would also be hard to test and a pain to keep up to date.

If the power outage is planned, please try to shift Hubbard and Seward, and the modem to Wbst to the emergency power. There is an outlet connected to the emergency generator right behind the rack. I think the main power has to go off before the emergency power can be turned on. If so, you will have to boot Hubbard from Bahyill or EMS, and Seward from EP3 or Wbst.

Don't forget the IMP, and it's modems, and...