Talk:HSC50 Hierarchical Storage Controller

HSC50 Naming

DEC usually called all its HSCs "Hierarchical Storage Controller"; the term "Mass-Storage Controller" was only used to describe what HSCs do. DEC wanted to distinguish clearly between "ordinary" Mass-Storage Controllers (UDA50, KDA50, ...) and CI-based HSC controllers or other Cluster storage controllers (like HSDxx, HSGxx, HSJxx, ...) .

I would propose renaming the HSC50 page to "HSC50 Hierarchical Storage Controller". Vaxorcist (talk) 11:29, 23 August 2022 (CEST)

I got the "HSC50 Mass-Storage Controller' from the HSC50 Maintenance Guide (pg. 1). However, I see that the HSC50 User Guide calls it the "HSC50 Mass Storage Server" (Preface, pg. v). So, several DEC documents about the HSC50 disagree about the 'Controller'/'Server', but do agree on the 'Mass Storage'!

To add to the confusion, 'Controller' would seem to be preferred from the name, "HSC" - but if we are to rely on that as a guide, then we should go with 'Hierarchical'!!

Do you know of any DEC documents that give the formal name of the HSC50 to be 'HSC50 Hierarchical Storage Controller'?

I personally do not care at all whether the page is named 'HSC50 Mass-Storage Controller' or 'HSC50 Hierarchical Storage Controller'; either would be fine with me. As usual, I care less what is logical, than what is historically accurate - what DEC itself actually called the thing at the time.

And, as usual, contradictory evidence of what that was leaves us in the dark! Jnc (talk) 13:22, 23 August 2022 (CEST)

I found seven occurrances of "Hierarchical Storage Controller", and for the sake of the Acronym "HSC", I would like that.

• EK-HSCMA-SV-001 HSC Service Manual, page 21 (2*)
• EK-HSCMA-SV-002 HSC Service Manual, page 21
• EK-HSCMN-IN-001 HSC Installation Manual, page 9
• EK-HSCMN-IN-002 HSC Installation Manual, pages 13, 17, 18
• R. Lary and R. Bean, "The Hierarchical Storage Controller, A Tightly Coupled Multiprocessor as Storage Server," Digital Technical Journal, vol. 1, no. 8 (February 1989): 8-24.
• AA-GMEAA-TK HSC User Guide HSC50 V2.50 HSC70 V1.00-O, page 341:

HSC - Hierarchical Storage Controller

An intelligent mass storage server used on the Computer Interconnect (CI) bus.

capable of supporting a total of eight and/or tape data channels, the HSC is part of the System Interconnect Architecture and DIGITAL Storage Architecture

By performing as an I/O manager, the HSC can be classified as an I/O server, removing the burden of I/O management from the CPU.

• Software Product Description Compaq OpenVMS Operating7.2-1H1, and 7.2-2. System for Alpha and VAX, Versions 7.2, 7.2-1, SPD 41.87.08, pages 43, 44 Vaxorcist (talk) 16:10, 23 August 2022 (CEST)