More than one simultaneous Charon on a Proliant server ?

[labadie_1]

Hello

We want to consolidate a few old Vaxes/existing Charons systems on a single server.

Is it possible, like Vmware allows for i86, to have multi running instances of Charon Vax Emulator on one system ?

Thanks for any hint.

[Volker Halle · Accepted solution]

Gerard,

it is currently not possiby to run multiple instances of the CHARON-VAX emulator on a single x86 server.

It is also not supported to run CHARON-VAX on a virtual PC inside a real PC.

It is possible and supported to run multiple instances of the CHARON-AXP emulator on a PC with the appropriate number of cores.

Volker.

[labadie_1]

Thanks Volker for this clear answer.

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Volker,

Just curious, is charon-alpha running on VMware ?

Wim

[Volker Halle]

Wim,

no. There are multiple separate instances (e.g. processes) of the CHARON-AXP emulator, each running on a dedicated core. One emulator for each emulated CHARON-AXP. The rest of the cores runs the Windows operating system and other processes/services/whatever.

If SMP systems are to be emulated in a CHARON-AXP, each of the OpenVMS CPUs require a core to run on.

Volker.

[Hoff]

This should work with the simh VAX emulator, and that emulator is called out by name in the commercial license migration information posted at HP's VAX emulation web page.

An approach based on CHARON-VAX can do what you're asking for here on a subset of the HP ProLiant platforms. Specifically, see the c-Class ProLiant blades and the c3000 and c7000 enclosures.

This approach can also allow you mix ProLiant and Integrity blades and OpenVMS I64 blades into the same box, too.

While it is increasingly difficult to find information at the BladeSystem web site, here's a quote that is on point: "Whatâ s more,you can mix and match the Integrity BL870c withProLiant server blades and StorageWorks storageblades in the same enclosure."

[Jur van der Burg]

Fwiw, Charon-VAX for OpenVMS integrity allows one to run multiple instances on one Ia64 machine. We currently have 3100/98, 4000-705A, 6000-610, 6000-620 and 6000-630 models available.

Jur.

[Stanley F Quayle]

The Itanium solution is the only supported CHARON-VAX option. You should be able to trade-up your existing CHARON-VAX licenses to that solution.

I have one client using CHARON-VAX under VMware. The performance is pretty terrible, with the VAX clock losing time and with disk I/O running very slooow.

To be supported, 1U Windows servers are available. Less expensive are used servers, if you aren't concerned about performance. While the performance of the virtual VAX is tied to the host's performance, maybe you don't need the fastest possible VAX.

And you can consolidate all your VAX storage on a SAN to achieve some economy of scale.

To even do the VMware route, you'd need to be running the latest & greatest version of VMware. I think it allowa you to make the USB dongle appear to the virtual Windows machine. That's an absolute requirement for CHARON-VAX.

I don't know if multiple dongles can "play" together on one physical machine -- I haven't tried it.

And, of course, Microsoft wants you to pay for Windows for each of those virtual machines.

I'll leave you with a question: can you consolidate the VAX environments into a single VAX environment? That would make all your problems go away.

[Shameless Plug Alert (tm) -- I am a CHARON-VAX reseller. But you knew that already...]

[labadie_1]

To Hoff
We are evaluating Simh for non-critical systems.

To Stanley
- we are consolidating some Vaxes on only one virtual machine.
- "The Itanium solution is the only supported CHARON-VAX option. You should be able to trade-up your existing CHARON-VAX licenses to that solution."

about Charon licences, can we migrate the licences at no cost, or do we have something to buy ?