VAX to Alpha Porting Services

Migration Specialties can port your OpenVMS VAX applications to the Alpha platform. We have the hardware, software, and expertise necessary to get the job done. Our experience with OpenVMS ports will have your applications up and running on the Alpha platform quickly and efficiently.

Application Availability

Many VAX applications are immediately available on the Alpha platform. For a complete list of available solutions on Alpha OpenVMS, start with these links:

• HP OpenVMS Alpha Software Rollout Reports
• HP OpenVMS Software Rollout Reports (All)
• HP Partner Products & Services Catalog

Alpha Hardware

For information on available Alpha hardware and support, start here:

• HP Alpha Systems

Alpha Advantages

With the Integrity platform available, choosing an Alpha system might seem like moving from one obsolete technology to another. While we at Migration Specialties do not consider the Alpha obsolete, we do encourage you to take a hard look at the Integrity platform since the future of OpenVMS rides on its shoulders. That said, there are still many good reasons to move to the Alpha platform. Here are a few:

• HP will sell Alpha systems through 2006.
• HP guaranties support for the Alpha platform through 2011.
• Alpha and Integrity systems presently offer similar performance.
• Alpha systems presently offer a greater range of OpenVMS software solutions.
• Alpha's offer a robust, proven hardware platform. Integrity systems are still relatively new.
• Porting to an Alpha system may be easier, and thus less costly, than porting to an Integrity system.

Porting

If OpenVMS and its layered products are up-to-date, then porting applications from a VAX to an Alpha may be as simple as this:

• Configure the Alpha
• Transfer applications
• Recompile and link code
• Transfer data
• Test the applications

Planning is Key

Even a simple port requires adequate planning, careful testing, and enough resources to get the job done without impacting daily business operations. That's why engaging Migration Specialties is such a good idea. Porting OpenVMS applications is our specialty. We provide the added resources and special knowledge needed to make the port successful. Our services will minimizing the port's impact on your staff and daily operations. And if your simple port isn't so simple, we're there to smooth out the complexities.

Upgrades May be Necessary

If your VAX is running an older version of OpenVMS or its layered products, then the port gets more complex. Careful planning is required to ensure successful application upgrades as part of the porting process. Migration Specialties has the skills and expertise to quickly identify porting issues and devise strategies to surmount them.

Unsupported Application or Lack of Source Code

If you have a critical application without source code or that is not supported on the Alpha, all is not lost. It is possible to migrate native VAX application image files to the Alpha platform without source code. This may be all that is necessary to keep your application running. It is also possible to emulate a VAX processor under OpenVMS on the Alpha. Essentially, the VAX and Alpha co-exist within one box, allowing you to retain your VAX applications for as long as necessary. Migration Specialties will help you determine which solution works best for your situation.

Alphas are a Viable Solution

Upgrading a VAX to a new Alpha is a viable option and may be more cost effective in the short term. New Alpha systems are readily available or you may already have excess Alpha capacity in-house that can be used for a VAX port. Migration Specialties will help you choose the best porting option for your business, be it Alpha or Integrity, then help you successfully port your VAX applications to the Alpha platform.