[Info-vax] OpenVMS versus Windows/GE Telemetry Control Systems.

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2013-01-11 04:08:35 +0000, cyberunlimited at gmail.com said:

> I work for a large Water Utility. Our SCADA Telemetry Control System 
> uses Alpha Servers. Management wants to scrap OpenVMS and go with a 
> SCADA System by GE called iFix that runs on Windows. I'm told that HP 
> can't be trusted to continue with OpenVMS and they may discontinue the 
> Itanium Machines. Also, it's too hard to find VMS Experts in the work 
> force. Also, I'm told that the industry is moving from OpenVMS to 
> Windows everywhere.
> Can I please have your thoughts concerning my predicament?

Interestingly, I've done SCADA work, on VMS, with GE gear.  But that 
was a while ago.

Predicament?  Do what your management wants you to do, and use what 
your preferred vendor(s) support(s), and work with what configurations 
you can get and what staff you can hire or train.  Your job is to get 
the water delivered, and cost effectively.  Herding the various vendors 
around can be a slog, and with any platform.  Yes, you'll be 
investigating — and should investigate — alternative platforms.

If Windows or Linux makes more sense and better meets your requirements 
and fits your budget, use it.

The servers themselves are usually a fairly small part of a SCADA 
product, and the prices are dropping.  As you're undoubtedly well 
aware, SCADA is long-deployment, and the question is whether you've got 
contracts for parts.  Not whether the servers are still in production.  
The Itanium servers are still in production, with the recently 
announced i4-class boxes.

The software, however, can be expensive to port.  That's either your 
code, or from a vendor.

————

PS: That "too hard to find VMS Experts" is just somebody somewhere 
being somewhat disingenuous with their phrasing.  I would be more 
willing to believe that management might not be able to find 
sufficiently expert staff at the proffered price, though.  Offer enough 
salary with some training, and you're almost certainly able to be off 
and running.  Capitalism and all.

PPS: That "might stop making Itanium systems" is somewhat incongruous, 
given you're still running Alpha boxes long after those Alpha was 
cancelled.  The Alpha EOL was announced back in 2001, after all.  Buy 
an Itanium, and it'll be probably running for quite a few years.   An 
rx2800 i2 or a BL860 i2 will run rings around most any Alpha, too.

PPPS: Emulation is available for VAX and Alpha.  That's not an approach 
I'd recommend when hardware is available, but folks do use it.

PPPPS: Windows Everywhere?  Microsoft Windows sales have been 
contracting substantially, and profits are down. HP was recently 
contemplating divesting the Windows business.  Microsoft sales are 
still very large, but the recent financial numbers are not headed in 
the right direction.



-- 
Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC