topic Re: Converting an Alpha Image to Itanium without an Alpha System in Operating System - OpenVMS

Converting an Alpha Image to Itanium without an Alpha System

5_and_counting — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 16:46:54 GMT

I have an Alpha Image that is used to format various aspects of device sizing information I used on Alpha Systems. Works Great!

Now I have a new job and would like to get the same device size DCL file to run using this Alpha Image on the Itanium systems I currently work on.

Without having an Alpha system, how can I migrate this Alpha exe file to run on Itanium?

Thanks to any one that can help me.

Tim

Re: Converting an Alpha Image to Itanium without an Alpha System

Steven Schweda — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 19:20:48 GMT

> I have an Alpha Image that is used to format various aspects of device
> sizing information I used on Alpha Systems.

   And no source code? What, exactly, is "device sizing information"?
What does the magic executable to that couldn't be done in DCL?

> Now I have a new job and would like to get the same device size DCL
> file to run using this Alpha Image on the Itanium systems I currently
> work on.

   So, more of a VMS question than a "General Feedback and Suggestions"
question.

      https://community.hpe.com/t5/Operating-System-OpenVMS/bd-p/itrc-293

> Without having an Alpha system, how can I migrate this Alpha exe file
> to run on Itanium?

   I've never used it, so I know nothing, but my quick Web search for:

      openvms alpha ia64 translate

found, among other things, a document describing "the Alpha Environment
Software Translator (AEST)":

      https://h41379.www4.hpe.com/doc/82final/translating_images.pdf

   Also:

      http://h41379.www4.hpe.com/openvms/products/omsva/omsais.html

The price looks reasonable.

Re: Converting an Alpha Image to Itanium without an Alpha System

abrsvc — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:29:33 GMT

There is an alarming lack of information here. As Steven has stated, AEST may work. That is documented and supported. If that failes to provide what is needed, perhaps post an example of the output from this "device sizing information" program to give us an idea of the information displayed.

If the source code is available, I would use that (obviously). If it is written in a language you don't understand, assistance can be provided there too.

Dan

Re: Converting an Alpha Image to Itanium without an Alpha System

Steven Schweda — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 13:07:56 GMT

>       http://h41379.www4.hpe.com/openvms/products/omsva/omsais.html

   This stuff actually works (in at least one case). I ran an Info-ZIP
UnZip Alpha executable through AEST, and got a translated IA64
executable which worked on a couple of handy test archives. At some
cost: The translated executable size was about 3X that of a native IA64
executable from the same source, and the run time was about 3X, too.
(The native IA64 executable size was about 2X the size of the Alpha
executable.)

   So, sub-ideal, but not a complete disappointment.

its $ tcpip show version

HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Industry Standard 64 Version V5.7 - ECO 5
on an HP rx2660 (1.59GHz/9.0MB) running OpenVMS V8.4

its $ mcr sys$disk:[]UNZIP_ALP_AV.EXE -v
Info-ZIP UnZip 6.1c22-BETA (2017-06-08) Maintainer: Steven M. Schweda
Copyright (c) 1990-2017 Info-ZIP. License: unzip --license
[...]
Compiled with DEC C V7.3-010 for OpenVMS (V8.4 Alpha) on Nov 13 2017.
[...]