WGS 9150 setup

[slomacuser]

next week I will get the WGS 9150 and have some questions about that system

1. what bundled software was on that machine? It is PPC mac so it wasn't load with A/UX but probably with System 7 and some version of AppleShare (4?)

2. what can I do to make it a server again as it was suppose to be? Install Mac HTTP or something as I don't have any server setup knowledge? Well I got the AppleShare IP 6.3.3. which requires Mac OS 9.1 (probably slow on 601 CPU) ... any suggestions? Maybe MkLinux but as I said I do not know unix that much, well nothing more than just to install it ...

 

[slomacuser]

answer to nr. 1 question

1. WGS was bundled with AppleShare 4.0.2 and System 7.1.2

from BYTE magazine: The Server 9150 runs the standard PowerPC version of System 7 release 7.2; you may have AppleShare 4.0.2 installed at the factory. A PowerPC version of Retrospect Remote provides archival backup on the DAT drive.

 

Apple is promising a software-only version of RAID that provides RAID 0 (disk mirroring) and RAID 1 (disk striping) and should offer additional improvements in performance or data integrity. This software was not available at the time the tests were conducted.

Workgroup Server 9150

(with an 80-MHz PowerPC 601, 512 KB of

secondary processor cache, 16 MB of RAM, two 1-GB hard drives, a DAT

drive, a CD-ROM drive, Retrospect Remote backup software, and RAID

software).......................... $9229

(with AppleShare 4.0.2 installed).. $10269

 

[register]

I used a WGS 9150 for a while. My one came with 7.6 installed, fully loaded with very noisy harddisk drives and the RAID software mentioned in the BYTE magazine. I disconnected the drives and installed one cheap and silent drive for test operation running Mac OS 9.1. The machine works fine with Mac OS 9.1. With OS9helper software Mac OS 9.2.2 should work well, too. I have not tested the RAID software, but I suspect it will not work with volumes larger than 2 or 4 GB. I can not recommend the retrospect software, as my one experience with dantz retrospect was a desaster.

I would recommend to use at least Mac OS 8.1 to use the machine as a server, to take advantage of the Mac OS extended volume format (HFS+). A Sonnet G3 upgrade will give a noticeable speed bump. As long you will use the computer as a server, only, you need not to worry about the video output. If else, think about getting the Apple HPV card for the PDS slot. Keep in mind, that this card interferes with the Sonnet processor upgrade. To install both, a special adapter connector is required.

A problem with a reliable operation of this machine might be the fact, that it does not have any connector of a recent standard (Nubus, DB15, PDS, RS422, ADB, SCSI, AAUI, PS/2 RAM). You might look for a bunch of cheap SCSI-IDE adaptors, to install drives that still will last for some years of continuous operation (harddisk as well as optical or ZIP; the tape streamer usually will not work if not used for a long time).

Question:

Does anyone know if there is a way to have more than 256 MB of RAM working in the WGS 9150, like using 64 MB sticks instead of the maximum 32 MB specified as the maximum at the time of manufacturing this Mac ?

 

[Bunsen]

Sonnet G3 / video output / Apple HPV card / interferes with the Sonnet processor upgrade. To install both, a special adapter connector is required.

which, if you are lucky, will be bundled with the Sonnet upgrade you find on ebay. Otherwise the onboard video or a Nubus video card should pull adequate duty.
Further information can be found at www.kan.org/6100 under the appropriate headings. Although the site is specific to the 6100, which can have -either- a PDS card -or- a Nubus card, but not both, the information there should be helpful as the basic machine architecture is the same.

There were other makers of G3 upgrades for Nubus Macs; I believe Sonnet were the only ones with the PDS pass-through cable. There were also upgrades that would only fit in the 7100 or 8100 (or 9150), and not in the pizza-box 6100.

SCSI-IDE adaptors

http://68kmla.org/wiki/SCSI_harddisk_replacement_options

more than 256 MB of RAM

http://lowendmac.com/ppc/workgroup-server-9150.html

RAM: 8 MB on motherboard, expandable to 264 MB using pairs of 4, 8, 16, or 32 MB 80ns 72-pin SIMMs, 8 SIMM sockets. It absolutely does not like 64 MB SIMMs.

 

[Bunsen]

One other note about G3 upgrades and video.

Onboard video on this series is known to be quite slow, as it uses system RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. Apart from obviously adding a PDS or Nubus card, the other known remedy for this is L2 cache.

If your machine comes with the specified 512k cache installed (ie it hasn't been raided for another machine) you should be able to cache the entire screen if you use lower resolutions and/or colour settings. A 1MB L2 cache can cache the entire screen at higher resolutions. 1MB cache SIMMs are almost impossible to find though - 256k SIMMs are much easier.

Luckily, all of the G3 upgrades have their own L2 cache onboard, either 512k or 1MB.

 

[beachycove]

Appleshare IP 5 on MacOS 8.1 (or 7.6.1 in a pinch) would do nicely. Neither 7.1.x nor Appleshare 4.x.x are well-matched with the machine, but such an installation will certainly work if what you want is a stock configuration.

If you plug in a G3 upgrade, then you'd likely get very good performance from MacOS 9 and ASIP 6.3, but nothing like you would from the G3 towers it was designed to run on.

There is a document on Apple's website that lists all the original Appleshare configurations. You might take a peek at that document in this context.