Was an upgrade for ethernet TCP/IP for Unix V7 ever
done when running under SIMH?
Yes, the BSD 2.9/10/11 stream include the UCB Networking stack - it runs just fine on SIMH. In fact one Oscar's PiDP-11 [which used simh for the simulator] its one of the systems that is automatically loaded.
Was an upgrade ever done for Unix V7 when running
under SIMH to read and set the date/time?
Where would you read the clock? SIMH emulates real HW - V7 was distributed for DEC HW through 1979 on the 11 and DEC had nothing.
That said, could you create something sure - I bet you could. Maybe the easiest way would be to use a virtual DL/DC/DZ/DH serial port and have V7 read the clock from a 'serial line.' when it boots. Then set up a process on the SIMH Host system to source the data that V7 read.
That said, you probably could rewrite what you are starting in your example to SIMH's expect/send command system to do something for you - but I'd have to think about it.
FWIW: all those deposit commands should be unnecessary. Just make sure you have a proper boot block on the disk, as dmr tells you in the 'setting up Unix' document in /usr/doc and SIMH can boot from the controllers.