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 a limited-function version from the SRI web site.

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, Microsoft Word format
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 SRI 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

VMS is 30 years old!
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

The CHARON-AXP family of products emulate low to mid-range Alpha systems.

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

The Software Product Description for each version:

Product	Replaces	Emulates	Link to Software Product Description (In PDF format)
CHARON-AXP/4000 for Windows	AlphaServer 800 AlphaServer 1000 AlphaServer 1000 AlphaServer 1200 AlphaServer 2000 AlphaServer 2100 AlphaServer 4000	AlphaServer 4000/466, with 512 MB to 8 GB of RAM (Alpha EV5 processor) Requires 3 GHz dual CPU AMD Opteron server to match AlphaServer 4000/466 performance..	CHARON-AXP/4000
CHARON-AXP/3000 for Windows	DEC 3000/300 DEC 3000/400 DEC 3000/500 DEC 3000/600 DEC 3000/700 DEC 3000/800	DEC 3000-600, with 512 MB to 8 GB of RAM (Alpha EV4 processor) Requires 2 GHz dual CPU AMD Opteron server to match DEC 3000-600 performance.	CHARON-AXP/3000
CHARON-AXP/1000 for Windows	AlphaServer 400 4/266 AlphaServer 1000 4/266 AlphaServer 2000 4/275	AlphaServer 1000/266, with 512 MB to 8 GB of RAM (Alpha EV45 processor) Requires 2.4 GHz dual CPU AMD Opteron server to match Alpha 1000/266 performance.	CHARON-AXP/1000

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 or Windows Server 2003 (64-bit) host, with an available USB port.

The Software Product Description:

Product	Replaces	Emulates	Link to Software Product Description (In PDF format)
CHARON-AXPstation for Windows	AlphaStation 200 AlphaStation 250	AlphaStation 200, with 512 MB to 8 GB of RAM (Alpha EV4 processor)..	CHARON-AXPstation

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 Software Resources International headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Check here for announcements.

Email to request availability and pricing.

Request more information right now!

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 Software Resources International. Quayle Consulting Inc. is an authorized reseller of CHARON-AXP.