Connect OpenVMS app to Solaris

[kieran hegarty]

Hi there

I've got an open vms client that wants to port their whole system server to solaris, starting with the main server while retaining the client hardware instances (>80) on openvms until they are eventually replaced.

The client apps communicates with the main server using decnet phase 5 (decnet plus). I am trying to figure out how to move the main server to modern hardware, hopefully sun/solaris but will consider transitional options if any exist. I can't modify the client hardware at all because it is so fragile. Therefore I need to put a new main server in place that will be able to communicate with all old hardware (and apps) as if it has not changed.

I'm looking for some sort of software (app or emulator) that will enable the decnet applications running on the client hardware to communicate with the replacement server. Does anyone know of any such solution or can help?

Thanks
Kieran

[Steven Schweda]

I'm confused by your use of "client", as in:
open vms client
client hardware instances
client apps

> The client apps communicates with the main
> server using decnet phase 5 (decnet plus).

To do what? How? File transfer?
Task-to-task comminication? What?

> I am trying to figure out how to move the
> main server to modern hardware

Why? Slow? Hard to maintain? What?
What is the current hardware?

> hopefully sun/solaris

Why? Because it lacks compatibility?

> be able to communicate with all old
> hardware (and apps) as if it has not
> changed.

HP sells modern VMS systems which, most
likely, would offer remarkable compatibility
with any old VMS systems which your client
might be using as servers or clients.


It's often more helpful to describe the
problem which you're trying to solve than it
is to ask for advice on how to implement a
particular solution to that problem, which
may or may not be ideal, from people who
don't really know what that problem is.

[Richard Whalen]

If you can't touch the clients, then it seems that there are two options:
1) Make the Solaris systems talk DECnet. I did some searching and found a few things that imply that you might be able to find DECnet for Solaris, or port some Linux code.
2) Install a system to act as a bridge between DECnet and TCP/IP to communicate to the Solaris system.

[kieran hegarty]

Steven,

re: your comments -hopefully I've reworded appropriately.

I've got a customer with an Open VMS network consisting of a single server (HP Alphaserver GS160) and >80 clients (HP Alphaserver 1200s) spread over a WAN running DECnet Plus (TCP/IP).

Communication is via task to task at the application level and File transfer (copy flat files).

The Customer has mandated replacing the server with a Sun box (fits the rest of their h/w & s/w profile) but leaving the 1200s as is. This is very important.

The problem I have, is what are now my options for communicating with the 1200s using DECnet if my server is now running on Sun h/w.

All comments appreciated.

Thanks again
Kieran

[Joseph Huber_1]

If the Sun hardware would run Linux, have a look into
http://linux-decnet.sourceforge.net/
DECnet for Linux

"...A project to provide DECnet phase IV connectivity for Linux..."

If Decnet for Linux does the job (i.e. establishing DECNet objects), there is of course the (probably bigger ?) job of looking into the server programs, which might be quite VMS specific in terms of synchronisation with the clients, especially if using ASTs !

[Dennis Couch]

Years ago we were running a commercial product that was a full-blown DECnet suite for various flavors of Unix, including SunOS/Solaris. It had full DECnet support, and even had LAT, MOP, etc. Keep in mind that this was Phase IV at the time, not Phase V (i.e. DECnet Plus). I don't remember the vendor, and don't know if it's still available, but it *did* exist at one time. :)

[Art Wiens]

I would think that if this migration is mandated and a "sure thing", then Sun has a vested interest and should be called to task to offer some sort of "solution".

How is the VMS server application magically going to run on Solaris? What does "port their whole system" mean? Who's doing the porting? Perhaps those folks could offer an insight on how the new app will communicate with the old clients?

If the whole thing is being replaced (not just "ported"), then perhaps there isn't a transitional option available (or required). Run in parallel for some period and cutover when it's time for "Sunrise".

Good luck,
Art

[Steven Schweda]

Once upon a time, Sun offered Sunlink DNI (or
something like that), but that was Phase IV,
and may not have survived past about Solaris
2.5 (that is, even before they changed their
version numbering scheme). (That was back
when connecting to VAXes was important to
Sun.)

> The Customer has mandated replacing the
> server with a Sun box [...]

Then I'd ask him how he mandates solving all
the problems created by the first mandate.

Or call Sun and ask what they offer (or can
suggest).

[Thomas A. Williams]

How difficult would it be to rewrite the comms piece of the app to use IP?