topic Re: VAX/Alpha Simulation on Intel Server for Hobbyist VMS in Operating System - OpenVMS

VAX/Alpha Simulation on Intel Server for Hobbyist VMS

John T. Farmer — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:39:36 GMT

Is this an acceptable topic for this forum. If not, please suggest an alternative.

I am seeking to setup a VMS system in my home-office and have aquired the VMS Hobbyist license pack. I have available intel hardware and have read about SIMH Vax simulator. To avoid much out-of-pocket expense I wondered if this was a viable solution to experiment with VMS. Otherwise, what is the smallest/cheapest VMS compatible hardware I should consider.

Wanting to setup this test system so I can experiment with various things and not corupt our one Alpha/VMS machine.

Thanks,

John
john dot farmer at genworth dot com

Hardware: Compaq Proliant 5000r, 1gb mem, 4.3gb scsi, 10/100 NIC,

Software: Windows 2000 Server.

Re: VAX/Alpha Simulation on Intel Server for Hobbyist VMS

Robert Gezelter — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 20:33:24 GMT

John,

I often run a small simulated environment on my Win2000 laptop.

Seriously though, you will not be running computationally intensive tasks. You will be experimenting with systems management issues, which is well within the capacity of a far smaller system than the one that you have at home.

If you want to set up a native system, small Alphastations and Alphaservers are often available on the secondary market at very inexpensive prices.

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

Re: VAX/Alpha Simulation on Intel Server for Hobbyist VMS

Volker Halle — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 02:20:06 GMT

John,

besides the SimH VAX emulator, there is also the commercial CHARON-VAX product and CHARON-AXP (an Alpha emulator).

CHARON-VAX provides a free downloadable demo version (limited config: console, 2 disks, floppy, CD, ethernet and 3 hours run-time before a restart is required):

http://www.softresint.com/charon-vax/Tools_and_tips.htm#demo

For CHARON-AXP there is also a PersonalAlpha version (limited config to be run on Windows: console, 2 disks, floppy, CD, ethernet). You can freely download that version, but you must purchase a license after a 60 day free trial period.

http://www.emulatorsinternational.com/en/personalalpha.htm

Volker.

Re: VAX/Alpha Simulation on Intel Server for Hobbyist VMS

Steven Schweda — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 20:22:59 GMT

One (perhaps the biggest) problem with
running an emulated VAX is that you're
trapped at VMS VAX V7.3 (or older), which
lacks many of the features of the
contemporary and later non-VAX versions.

As I recall, an XP1000 (a respectable Alpha)
sold on Ebay recently for less than $200.
I'd call that a bargain, but such things are
open to individual interpretation.

Re: VAX/Alpha Simulation on Intel Server for Hobbyist VMS

Jan van den Ende — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 05:29:24 GMT

John,

I definitely agree with Steven!
You are well advised to move to Alpha, (or possibly IA64, but that would be financially less feasable).
And and eBay Alpha will be (much) cheaper than an Alpha emulator.
Btw: if you regularly check comp.os.vms
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.vms
there are regular offers for old systems to just pick up. You _might_ strike luck, and have on of those in your area.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

Re: VAX/Alpha Simulation on Intel Server for Hobbyist VMS

John T. Farmer — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 08:41:37 GMT

Very good information. It would probably be much easier, in the long run, to have a native Alpha system rather than try to simulate something on lesser hardware. Will pursue that path.

Thanks,

John

Re: VAX/Alpha Simulation on Intel Server for Hobbyist VMS

John T. Farmer — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:48:02 GMT

Thanks for your recommendations. Haven't done anything yet, but will likely pursue, first, the personal alpha emulator and later do a small alpha box.

Thanks,

John