Talk:System Module

Two meanings of "System Building Block" (SBB)

In 1983 the the term "System Building Block" was reused for basic computer system configurations including the CPU, memory and an operating system license. Not included were system devices, load devices, communications interfaces, console terminal, and application software. We need a disambiguation page here. Vaxorcist (talk) 08:10, 2 March 2024 (CET)

Hmmm. The "Digital Dictionary" doesn't include the later one; maybe that use post-dates that volume? The StorageWorks Family User's Guide and StorageWorks Solutions Configuration Guide both give 'SBB' as an expansion for "StorageWorks building blocks"; the BA350-SA Modular Storage Shelf User's Guide does have the "system building blocks" expansion.

I did a Web search for "System Building Block" DEC, and almost all the hits were for the earlier meaning.

Nothing links to system building block (or any variant capitalization of it), so if we want to put a disambiguation page there, that would be easy. Jnc (talk) 23:29, 2 March 2024 (CET)

Up to 1983 DEC mostly sold "Prepackaged Systems" that contained all components for a runnable system: CPU, Memory, System Device, Load Device, Communication Options.

This scheme was somewhat inflexible, so DEC decided to offer "System Building Blocks" consisting only of CPU and memory starting in 1983; the remaining components could be selected and purchased individually.

At the beginning, the additional elements were rarely called “System Building Blocks” until in the 1990s the simliar name "StorageWorks Building Blocks" (also abbreviated to "SBB") became established for the elements of the “StorageWorks” mass storage series.

The term “System Building Blocks” and in particular the acronym “SBB” was used very frequently in the DEC publications “Systems and Options” and “Price List”.

As of now, there are very few documents of this type available from the 1983/84 era, but the DATAPRO report from March 1983 explains on page 3 why DEC changed their attitude towards their former system packaging method:

"In a move designed to further simplify their VAX-11 configurations and provide a unique level of user customization for particular systems, DEC has dropped the concept of packaged systems for the VAX-11 family and now provides VAX System Building Blocks (SBBs). SBBs provide a foundation for building customized system configurations. Each SBB (VAX-11/782, VAX-11/780, or VAX-11/750), begins with a core of components: CPU, two or four megabytes of 64K or 16K ECC MOS memory, cabinetry, and the VAX/VMS operating system license. To this core you must add selections from the system device, load device, communications interface, console terminal, and software menus. SBBs give the customer a considerable amount of ordering flexibility because there are many possible equipment combinations. SBBs are currently available for VAX-11/782, VAX-11/780, and VAX-11/750 systems. VAX-11/730 systems are still offered in packaged system configurations. After ordering one of the models below, the customer must then order one from each of the mass storage, communications, and console terminal menus. Selection from the software menu is optional."

The wording "DEC has dropped the concept of packaged systems" is a little too drastic - DEC did not drop it, Dec slowly phased it out over a lot of years.

More recent documents, especially the price lists and system and options catalogs at Bitsavers use the acronym “SBB” very frequently.

So we've certainly got at least two kinds of "System Building Blocks.

By the way: The amount of main memory allocated to both the Prepackaged Systems and the System Building Blocks was chronically too low, probably in order to keep the price as low as possible. Vaxorcist (talk) 22:07, 3 March 2024 (CET)

OK, you have convinced me! What do you want to call the article for the second kind of SBB's? (For the first one, we can keep System Module.)

DEC's habit of specifying systems with too little memory, to keep the notional price down, was a habit of long standing. The first two alleged models of the PDP-10, the 1010 and 1020, were listed with 8K words of memory, and none were ever built or sold!

You get to do the second article; I'll set up the disambiguation page when it's done (and move this discussion somewhere useful). Jnc (talk) 01:28, 4 March 2024 (CET)