[Info-vax] Attn VSI employees: Viable full system Itanium emulator for VMS ?

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 2/17/22 14:53, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 2/17/2022 2:43 PM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>> On 2/17/22 14:32, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>> On 2/17/2022 2:28 PM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>>>> On 2/17/22 14:08, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>>>> On 2/17/2022 2:04 PM, Dave Froble wrote:
>>>>>> On 2/17/2022 9:00 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>>>>>>> I've had some more thoughts about this and it _may_ end up being
>>>>>>> a viable Itanium full system emulator for VSI to offer after all.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My only questions are "why?" and "who would want such a thing?"
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The itanic was never a good idea.  Yeah, throw enough memory and 
>>>>>> process shrinks at something and it will work.  Doesn't make it a 
>>>>>> good idea.
>>>>>
>>>>> VMS users should go for x86-64.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can understand the interest from HP-UX userrs.
>>>>
>>>> I can't understand the interest in HP-UX at all.  It's just
>>>> another proprietary Unix and not really one of the better ones.
>>>> And, yes, I have had to work with it at higher than the user
>>>> level.
>>>
>>> There are places where they run HP-UX.
>>
>> The big question is still, Why?
> 
> They picked it 20-30 years ago for whatever reason.
> 
>>> They have a problem with HW.
>>>
>>> They can migrate from HP-UX to Linux or try to stay on HP-UX for
>>> some more years.
>>>
>>> Staying means either IslandCo or an emulator when new system is needed.
>>>
>>> Most will probably start migration to Linux. But some may be
>>> interested in emulation.
>>
>> Linux is not the only available option.
> 
> It is not.
> 
> But the vast majority will pick Linux. That is the industry trend.
> 
>>> We know that VAX emulation is used by some VMS users.
>>
>> VMS users have a reason to stay where they are.  As we have
>> discussed here ad infinitum in some cases there is little or
>> no option to migrate.  That is never the case with HP-UX
>> which is just another flavor of Unix.
> 
> Migration is always work. Code may require changes, procedures
> will need to change, people may need to learn new skills.

Moving from VMS, probably.  But moving from Unix to Unix not so
much.  I just had my first opportunity to use "Unix" on a zSystem.
I use quotes because I really don't know what Unix it is.  It
identifies as "OS 390".  I saw nothing even vaguely unusual or
un-Unixy about it.

bill