Conference koolit::vms_curriculum

    
    Right...you should know where it is...[picky!]
    
    SUPER::ES$REVIEW:[OPERATOR_TBI]oper_hardware_errors.ps
    
    

    Mel,
    
    	Did you get the copy of old chapter 9 from the old oper course.
    It should give an idea for this topic. (I discussed this in note
    7).  I sent it to you about 3 weeks ago.  
    
    	Another place to get this type of information is the the hardware
    operator guide or hardware manual for each device.  In the front
    of these type books they usually list customer responsibility and
    frequence of P.M. items.
    
    	Because this chapter is "content free" I usually tell a lot
    of "sea stories" about my hardware days.  Most stories are real
    and they lead to a moral-usually if the customer had not screwed
    up there would be no story.
    
    
    		example (true):
    
    	I used to work for CDC.  They had hugh data centers with many
    large super computers and large disks.  I was the grounding coordinator
    for the DC area.  I had to go in and make sure the their system
    was properly grounded at the data center in Rockville.  They had
    nine mainframe systems.  We checked all devices to the system ground.
    We used noise generators to try to make the devices fail and if
    the grounds were not proper they would have.
         
    	Each device ground dropped directly to the grid ground under
    the floor.  Copper wire crossing every 2 feet.  The room was about
    the size of a football field.  We used a Meager to test the continuity
    to earth ground outside.  No connection.  With the system manager
    we followed the connection from the grid ground to the power room.
    Saw that it was connected to a water pipe.  The pipe went outside
    and into the ground.  Should have worked, right?  It did not work
    because the ground wire from the grid was just tied to the water
    pipe with a "half hitch" knot.  No solid connection at all.  We
    clamped it to the pipe and all was OK.
    
    
    	Earlier CDC had a sight about the same size in Germany.  In
    place of the grid ground was a copper plate under the whole floor.
    The wire to ground went outside to an existing pipe into the earth
    ground and checked out well.
    
    	They forgot to look at the pipe to see what else was connected
    to it.  One day there was a storm and the system went down.  The
    pipe was connected to a lightning rod. It hit and blew enough modules
    in the many systems to require an air lift of 3 planes to bring in
    the spares.     
    
    	Moral: The customer is responsible to make sure the enviornment
    is correct and if it is not there can be catistrofic(?) results.
    
    
    Hope some of this helps.
                  
    You're in Mass. There should be some really good support techs there
    to help.  I recommend Jerry Harrigan If he hasnt been riffed yet.
    
    
    Chuck Naughton 

    
    Hi Chuck,
    
    Yup...I got it...thanks. [I must admit I had a time figuring out
    who sent it though...thanks for letting me know...]
    
    And...[sigh]...we sort of gave up. But I did file the stuff away
    for the next go-round. We are trying not to be hardware specific...
    and not to get into the legal hassles inherent in 'The book said to..'
    and I folded to deadline pressure and just winged it out of here.
    
    Not real happy with that decision, but it seemed the lesser of
    several evils at the time.
    
    In the meantime...my ID _will not forget_ and with him around, _I_
    will not be able to forget....so we will attack it next time.
    
    BUT...kudos and thanks to you!!! You were the only instructor
    anywhere anyhow that even bothered to respond! I was impressed!
    
    Mel
    

    In note 7 I said I would send it so I did not bother sending a note
    with it.  Always glad to put my 2 cents in.  As with all of us there
    is not time to respond to or make comments on everything I would
    like.  You see, there are all these new courses we are studying
    for.  If I wasn't doing that I would have time to...? what a minute.
    If there were no new courses.  Then no notes to answer.  ?Hey! I
    would then have the time.  I'm so confused
    
    Til next time, Chuck.
    
    P.S.  I did put my Name on the lower left corner of the env. 

    
    I'm gonna go bakc and check the envelope! I looked!
    
    [Of course, if I had taken off the blinders, it might have
    been easier...]
    
    Thanks again...
    
    Mel