[Info-vax] api for ncp

[abrsvc]

On Friday, July 30, 2021 at 4:19:22 PM UTC-4, Stephen Hoffman wrote:
> On 2021-07-30 18:31:04 +0000, abrsvc said: 
> 
> > J-stars went to alpha from Motorola a long time ago. The alpha was 
> > able to complete data load, computation AND display in less time than 
> > the Motorola computation and display only IRRC. 
> > 
> > There are a number of different certifications at multiple levels. I 
> > have been involved in federal certifications of software programs 
> > running VAX software on emulators, so yes there are still 
> > certifications for VAX today.
> JSTARS: "Our latest central computer replacement program upgrades the 
> current computers with powerful, advanced technology running Linux - 
> delivering a quantum leap forward to the mission system." 
> 
> https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-awarded-17-5-million-contract-for-fifth-generation-upgrade-of-e-8c-joint-stars-central-computers 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If OpenVMS VAX or even VAX/VMS works for y'all, stay there. 
> 
> But do expect to pay ongoing and increasing costs for avoiding upgrades 
> or avoiding porting (from VAX/VAX to OpenVMS x86-64, or from OpenVMS 
> VAX to Linux, etc), right up until management decides otherwise and 
> orders a port, or orders a replacement. 
> 
> If y'all aren't keeping your own stuff current on OpenVMS, and keeping 
> your apps ~competitive across the available choices, y'all are headed 
> for trouble anyway. Trouble which has a habit of sneaking up.
> -- 
> Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC
There are times when there is not too much of a choice without a significant investment in time and hardware.  I have been involved with a number of cases to keep VAXen or Alphas running due mainly to custom hardware interfaces that are not easy to replace.  I am completing a case now, where the conversion to PLCs from VAX systems and Westinghouse Data Highway interfaces are being replaced.  These have reliably worked for almost 40 years.  The  cost to replace is in the millions in both hardware and software.  This is not a task taken lightly.  In this case, emulation was not an option.

In a few other cases, the system worked just  fine and there was no financial justification for re-writing the custom application.  Here, emulation made sense as the cost was less than hardware service and there was essentially zero software cost.  Will this be the solution forever, not likely.  But, this at least eases the pain so that a replacement can be found or created over time.