[Info-vax] Quiet?

[abrsvc]

On Friday, April 1, 2022 at 9:43:39 AM UTC-4, Jan-Erik Söderholm wrote:
> Den 2022-04-01 kl. 15:27, skrev Arne Vajhøj: 
> > On 4/1/2022 9:12 AM, Jan-Erik Söderholm wrote: 
> >> Den 2022-04-01 kl. 14:03, skrev Phillip Helbig (undress to reply): 
> >>> In article <jamnh3... at mid.individual.net>, Bill Gunshannon 
> >>> <bill.gu... at gmail.com> writes: 
> >>>> On 3/31/22 17:10, Phillip Helbig (undress to reply) wrote: 
> >>>>> The old DEC hardware: all VAXes (not sure about even older stuff, but my 
> >>>>> guess is yes) were really built to last.  I've generally had good luck 
> >>>>> with Alphas, but have the impression that the newer they are the shorter 
> >>>>> the useful lifetime, though it is still OK. 
> >>>>> 
> >>>> 
> >>>> The last Alpha I had at the University was one of those deskside 
> >>>> boxes that looked like a PC.  While it was heavier than the average 
> >>>> PC it was badged Compaq and it lasted about as long as PC's do. 
> >>> 
> >>> The PWS?  I've had some running for about 11 years.  They're much older, 
> >>> of course. 
> >> 
> >> My customers DS20e's was installed in May 2006 (by me!). 16 years now. 
> >> And yes, I have explained the potential risks involved. I'd like to 
> >> replace them with something much more modern, some DS25's... 
> > 
> > DS25's are newer but not new. 
> > 
> > Could the applications run in an Alpha emulator? 
> > 
> > An Alpha emulator running on a stripped down Linux/Windows running in 
> > a VM under ESXi may fit better with the overall IT strategy. 
> > 
> > Of course they could also wait just a few months and go for 
> > VMS x86-64 in a VM under ESXi. But given that it is on Alpha 
> > not Itanium then that may not be the plan. 
> > 
> > Arne 
> >
> The plan has been (since I came there in 2006) to replace this system 
> in "3-4 years". And still is, but now extended to "approx. 5 years". 
> 
> Now, they just need to supply rack space. I do all the system 
> management, so there are no other support groups from the site 
> involved. If we'd go with an emulation in a VM a lot of other 
> groups would be involved and probably just cause trouble. 
> 
> Easiest right now is a box-swap using three DS25's. 
> 
> x86-64 could be possible. If that would be with or without VM's 
> is not clear. One could just swap the Alphas to X86 servers and 
> have a very similar setup. We'll see. 
> 
> We have other issues. Alpha only supports up to 2 Gb FC cards. 
> The SAN group wants to go to 8/16/32 FC switches. They have 
> now kept 2 pcs of 2/4/8 Gb switches just for our servers, but 
> these are end-of-support in April 2024, and the SAN group do not 
> want to run FC switches that are unsupported... 
> 
> Jan-Erik.

I have run into this type of support issue as well even prior to my working for Stromasys(supplier of Charon emulators).
If you chose to go the emulator route, the emulated Alpha would see the existing 2G interface while taking advantage of the faster interconnect.  The same works for the NICs.  Contact me offline if you have any specific questions. This setup is working very well at many sites and normally has little IT involvement other than the initial setup.  You can likely set the entire system up yourself if you are given the needed network addresses.  Very simple system that does not require any special software other than what is supplied.

Dan