Virtual Alpha, Alpha Migration, and Alpha Replacement

Virtual Alpha: Alpha Emulation, Alpha Migration and Alpha Replacement

An Alpha can be virtualized (emulated) on a modern computer, which allows the existing operating system (such as OpenVMS and Tru64 UNIX), its software, and all applications to be run without change. No reprogramming is required. Most customers report that the emulated system is faster than the original!

Alpha emulation offers the following advantages:

Installation, configuration, and migration can be contracted on a turn-key basis from Quayle Consulting Inc..
Annual support contracts and periodic product updates are available.
DEC/Compaq/HP software licenses can be transferred to the emulated system -- your license investment is protected.
HP OpenVMS software support is available when running on HP hardware.
Oracle RDB licenses can be transferred to the emulated system. In most cases, licenses and service agreements can be transferred for free. Oracle does all its VAX development with CHARON-VAX! (PowerPoint)
User training is available.

Software successfully used with CHARON-AXP include: Oracle RDB, CONNX, Ross System's UserBase, MultiNet, TCPware, all DEC languages (C, Fortran, Macro, etc.).

Want to try CHARON-Alpha right now? You can:

Download PersonalAlpha from the Stromasys web site. Emulates a DEC3000-400. Not for commercial use!

For more information, please email or call 1-888-VAX-VMS-8 (1-888-829-8678) toll-free in US and Canada. For fastest service, please include information about your system in one of these forms.

Inventory checklist, Rich Text format (can be opened in Microsoft Word and OpenOffice)
Inventory checklist, Adobe PDF format (fax to 1-614-868-1671)

Evaluation and migration support is available from Quayle Consulting. Even if you don't migrate, QCI offers VMS System Administration services.

US Government? Click here!

Need to replace a VAX? See the CHARON-VAX page! There's also a CHARON-TB product to replace PDP-11 systems.

Who the heck is CHARON? And why "AXP" instead of "Alpha"?

The Products

The CHARON-AXP family
The CHARON-AXPstation family.

CHARON licenses are available in both Permanent and Annually-Renewable forms.

References

The Stromasys website

Movies

HP blows up a data center to prove disaster tolerance. VMS recovers in less than 14 seconds. Here's how it was done.

Whitepapers

QEI Provides Active/Active SCADA with OpenVMS
Customer Migrates to OpenVMS after Virus Incident (VISTA Control Systems site)
HP OpenVMS brochure
OpenVMS and High Availability
The Hewlett-Packard OpenVMS web site
Are some RISC - Based Clusters more secure than others (HP site)
Are some RISC-Based Cluster easier to manage than Others (HP site)
Achieving the highest levels of IT security with HP OpenVMS
The HP OpenVMS Approach to High Availability Computing
The OpenVMS section of "The Operating Systems Handbook" (dated, but VMS is still VMS)

Articles

Australian Securities Exchange
VMS is 30 years old ("Created by DEC, now sold as HP's OpenVMS, it's used by the Deutsche Borse in Germany, the Australian Stock Exchange, and Amazon")
Digital’s venerable VMS just keeps going and going and going....
Mention of Quayle Consulting in Datamation
A ComputerWorld article on Alpha replacement
Another ComputerWorld article about VMS
The 20th anniversary celebration of VMS at the HP web site
The 25th anniversary celebration of VMS at the HP web site
The 30th anniversary celebration of VMS at the HP web site
Neil Rieck's Mini-FAQ about VMS.
Is OpenVMS Vulnerable?
Old VMS Databases Never Die
A Historical Look at the VAX: The Economics of Microprocessors
My Desktop OS: OpenVMS with CDE (Humor)
Hoffman Labs (Hobbyist)

Training

The CHARON-AXP Family

Hardware Model	CHARON Product	Max Number of CPU's	Requirements / Notes
AlphaServer GS160	CHARON-AXP GS160	16 max
AlphaServer GS80	CHARON-AXP GS80	8 max
AlphaServer ES40	CHARON-AXP ES40	4 max
AlphaServer DS20	CHARON-AXP DS20	2 max
AlphaStation DS10	CHARON-AXP DS10	one	System with 2 processor cores, Intel processor preferred. Requires at least 2 GB host memory plus the amount of Alpha memory to be emulated. Emulates 4 GB of Alpha RAM, Alpha EV6 (21264) processor. Minimum VMS version: V6.2-1H3 Minimum Tru64 UNIX version: 4.0
AlphaServer 4100 AlphaServer 4000 AlphaServer 800 AlphaStation XP 900 AlphaStation XP1000	CHARON-AXP/SMA Plus	one	System with 2 processor cores, Intel processor preferred. Requires at least 2 GB host memory plus the amount of Alpha memory to be emulated. Emulates an Alpha EV5 (21164) processor. Minimum VMS version: V6.2-1H3 Minimum Tru64 UNIX version: 4.0
AlphaServer 2100 AlphaStation 1200 AlphaStation 500 AlphaStation 600 AlphaServer 800 PersonalWorkStation	CHARON-AXP/SMA	one	System with 2 processor cores, Intel processor preferred. Requires at least 2 GB host memory plus the amount of Alpha memory to be emulated. Emulates an Alpha EV5 (21164) processor. Minimum VMS version: V6.2-1H3 Minimum Tru64 UNIX version: 4.0
AlphaServer 2000 AlphaServer 1000 AlphaServer 400 AlphaServer 300 AlphaStation 255 AlphaStation 250 AlphaStation 200	CHARON-AXPstation		System with 2 processor cores, Intel processor preferred. Requires at least 2 GB host memory plus the amount of Alpha memory to be emulated. Emulates an Alpha EV4 (21064) processor. Minimum VMS version: V6.2-1H3 Minimum Tru64 UNIX version: 3.1
DEC3000/300 DEC3000/400 DEC3000/500 DEC3000/600 DEC3000/700 DEC3000/800	CHARON-AXP 3000		System with 2 processor cores, Intel processor preferred. Requires at least 2 GB host memory plus the amount of Alpha memory to be emulated. Emulates an Alpha EV54 (21064/133) processor with a maximum of 1 GB of Alpha RAM. Minimum VMS version: 6.1 Minimum Tru64 UNIX version: not tested

Email to request more details and pricing. Please attach an Inventory checklist so that we may advise you on the best product choice.

CHARON-AXPstation

CHARON-AXPstation replaces an AlphaStation 200 or AlphaStation 250 and allows the existing AlphaStation licenses to be used.

Supports VMS V6.2-1H3 or later. Requires a dual-processor Windows XP x64 or Windows Server 2003 x64 (64-bit) host, with an available USB port.

The Software Product Description:

Hardware Model	CHARON Product	Emulates
AlphaStation 200 AlphaStation 250	CHARON-AXPstation	AlphaStation 200, with 4 GB of RAM. Emulates an Alpha EV4 (21064/200) processor. Note: GUI configuration tool has a limit of 4 disk drives. Minimum VMS version: V6.2-1H3 Minimum Tru64 UNIX version: not tested

Email to request more details and pricing. Please attach an Inventory checklist so that we may advise you on the best product choice.

CHARON-AXP User Training

Training is available for customers who wish to perform their own migration, or who have to support CHARON-AXP systems on an ongoing basis. Current training opportunities include:

At your location. The course consists of one day of mixed lecture and lab, followed by a one day lab. During the lab session, the instructor will assist with migration of the students' systems, if desired. Minimum of 4 students. Customer to provide appropriate computers for each student and pay instructor's travel expenses.
Training opportunities arise at the Stromasys headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Email to request availability and pricing.

Request more information right now!

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Related Services

Quayle Consulting Inc. provides a complete menu of Alpha and VMS related services, including:

The Quayle Consulting Inc. website

CHARON-AXP is a trademark of Stromasys. Quayle Consulting Inc. is an authorized reseller of CHARON-AXP.