The Rough Guide to MBus Modules

Auspex NetServer 5000 and 6000

The NS5000 and NS6000 are special-purpose file-servers, which contain a general-purpose board-level computer (the "Host Processor") which runs a highly modified variant of SunOS 4.x; and an intelligent programmable I/O subsystem which runs it's own real-time operating-system.

The host processor board has a single MBus running at 40MHz, and probably has only a single MBus slot. It is responsible for booting the I/O subsystem and running the Auspex configuration tools for configuring the disks and network interfaces controlled by the I/O subsystem.

The I/O subsystem services NFS and network service requests, largely independantly of the host processor.

The Auspex disk subsystem consists of one or more full-height 19-inch racks.

It may be possible to run standard SunOS 4.x or even Solaris on the the host processor board itself, but without the ability to access the Auspex disk subsystem, this may not be a useful thing to do.

The one known "factory-fitted" CPU module for the NS5000 is a single CYM6001K. The one known "factory-fitted" CPU module for the NS6000 is a single SM41.

The ability to use other CPU modules is going to depend on both the host-processor board PROM and the Auspex host-processor operating system (eg: does it include O/S workarounds for the Viking 3.x MFAR hardware bugs?).

As I know so little about these systems, I cannot advise on the full spectrum of CPU modules, the firmware revisions needed for particular CPU modules, or any other issues.

Mike Spooner, revised 22nd February 2002