[Info-vax] VMS port to x86

[JF Mezei]

Neil Rieck wrote:

> As others have already pointed out, x86-64 will be with us for a very
> long time. Not having our favorite OS run directly on silicon we leave
> it on "death row"

Running in emulation is a performance issue. Not a real show stopper.
The real issue is continued and truly active development of VMS and
marketing of VMS as a viable compatitive platform.

Consider a scenario where HP would have fessed up to the death of IA64
back in 2007 and promised to port VMS to x86 AND continued active
development of VMS with a healthly roadmap. VMS would be far better off
today because of confidence in its continued existence beyond IA64.

And the ISVs would see VMS as a viable target for their software despite
the impending death of IA64 so software woudl continue to be
developped/ported to VMS.


If HP were to announce that it would restart development of VMS, and
provide IA64 or Alpha emulation on X86 based superdomes and other
machines, VMS would be better off because of the image of HP investing
in VMS development instead of keeping VMS in what is essentially already
"maintenance mode".

So the most important part is continued development of VMS, not VMS
running on the most performant platform.

What is hurting VMS is the fact that everyone knows IA64 is dead, and HP
continues to pretend it isn'T and state that there are no plans to port
VMS beyond IA64.


HP coudl embed an Alpha and/or IA64 emulator in some primitive X86
kernel and then offer to host VMS on its new x86 servers and then show a
roadmap that really convinces people HP is putting additional resources
to VMS development.



But this isn't happening, and Whitman has already announced there is
nothing to be done to rescue the old BCS and that HP is counting on
Liux/Windows on its x86 superdomes to replace the currently faltering at
high speed  BCS business.