>
>Can anyone tell me if UNIX will run on any RISC processor or does it require
>a specific type of a RISC chip?  I recall apple using RISC processors and
>wonder if UNIX can be loaded to an apple for this reason.

Aside from brand-name issues, "UNIX" refers to a "class" of operating
systems. Various vendors "versions" of UNIX are engineered to run
on specific hardware platforms. I am unaware of any version of Unix
that is being used on apple hardware.

>I am sorry for my ignorance but I have precious little familiarity with UNIX
>and need to learn as much as I can in rather a hurry since I have assumed
>responsibility for a network that has a main server running AIX UNIX on an
>IBM RS-60000.  BTW...this machine has a 50mhz processor in it along with 64
>megs of RAM and dual 2.0 gig SCSI's.  In the world of RISC and UNIX can
>anyone tell me if this is a reasonably powerful unit or way behind the times
>(I know in the PC world it would be a very outdated machine).

It is "not fast" by modern Unix server standards.

>Can anyone direct me to some info re: RISC processors .  Given their reduced
>instruction set do they require substantially fewer cycles to complete their
>tasks such that say a 50mhz chip would be the equivalent of perhaps a 100mhz
>INTEL.....stated more succinctly....How does one rate the power of a RISC
>chip relative to an INTEL compatible.

Like most things in the world of computing, it depends on the
application. A massively I/O bound application _might_ run in
comparable time (risc vs Intel).

In general, risc processors require _more_ instruction cycles
(because the instructions, on average, are more fundamental) to
run an application, but execute the individual instructions
more quickly. They are sometimes referred to as "load and store"
computers because of their instruction's relative (to cisc)
simplicity.

On your AIX server, you need to learn to monitor the 3 major areas
of system performance:
  1.) Memory utilization/capacity.
  2.) I/O    utilization/capacity.
  3.) CPU cycle utilization/capacity.

Hope this helps a bit ...

  Zalut,
  David

**********************************************************************
** David Nasser                     **     [log in to unmask]  **
** Univ. Mo. St. Louis              **                              **
**********************************************************************;

"Now, I may look like I'm crazy,
 but po' John do know right from wrong!"
    from "Drop Down, Mama", Sleepy John Estes, maybe 1937

            PCBUILD maintains many useful files for download
              on our web site - visit our download page at:
                     http://nospin.com/pc/files.html