[Info-vax] WASD now is 25 years.

[Mark Daniel]

On 31/7/19 11:14 pm, IanD wrote:
> Congratulations Mark Daniel
> 
> We were a customer way back when EDS was still alive and we deployed WASD on the Optus Telco account

Guess the customer can be mentioned now.  Though at the time a NDA.  A 
substantial clustered ACMS billing system.  Quite *the* installation.

> I remember giving you questions about WASD when you visited us. To my shame, I wasn't very objective but you answered truthfully and without trying to hide anything. It was obvious from my line of questioning I wanted Apache
> 
> I remember going away and thinking, sh*t, I wanted Apache but 'this WASD thing' is dam good. I changed my mind and added my vote to the recommendation for WASD

Thank you.

> I still remember a little summary statement I made as to why we picked WASD, "...because it simply kicks arse" :-). Yes, that was me

I do remember.

> I believe you used that statement in some presentations afterwards? lol

Absolutely.  VMS Bootcamp 2006, Nashua NH.  There with a couple of 
friends/colleagues, sponsored by Sydney VMS Support Centre, John 
Gillings, VSM Software Services, Jeremy Begg, and my then line-manager 
Paul Amey.  I'd describe it as the trailing edge of VMS' heyday.  A tour 
of DEC/Compaq ZKO.  Was a singular experience.

> One of the things I remember reading was about how long ago, someone pointed out a vulnerability in WASD. I read about how you didn't try and sweep it under the carpet but instead went through everything, probing, looking, overturning all sorts to see what else you may have missed. Even in your documentation you make reference to the need to never let down your guard about security and that even WASD was not immune to security flaws and you made reference to someone finding a security issue with WASD
> 
> It was this sort of forthrightness that also had me throw my hat into the WASD camp when we evaluated the product
> 
> Well done Mark, I am surprised though that it's 25 years old, where has all that time gone?

Summarised as half my working life is a sobering thought.

> WASD on x86-64 VMS next?

v12.0 is reserved for that.  But does seem to be taking an inordinate 
amount of time.