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HP Alpha Hardware Virtualization allows users of HP Alpha (Previously known as DIGITAL Alpha) computers to move application software and user data to a modern Intel or AMD based x64 compatible platform without having to make changes to software and data. HP Alpha Hardware Virtualization is a software solution that replaces HP Alpha hardware.
This approach is best understood when the HP Alpha Hardware Virtualization Software is viewed as a special interface between the old HP Alpha software and a new hardware platform. Basically, the CHARON software presents a HP Alpha hardware interface to the original HP Alpha software, so that the existing software cannot detect a difference. This means no changes have to be made to the existing software. User programs and data can be copied to a new modern industry standard server (64-bit Intel or AMD) and continue to run for many more years.
The HP Alpha virtualization software is designed to replace single and multi-CPU HP Alpha computer systems, including:
- AlphaServer 400
- AlphaServer 800
- AlphaServer 1000
- AlphaServer 1000A
- AlphaServer 1200
- AlphaServer 2000
- AlphaServer 2100
- AlphaServer 4000
- AlphaServer 4100
- AlphaServer DS10
- AlphaServer DS10L
- AlphaServer DS15
- AlphaServer DS20
- AlphaServer DS25
- AlphaServer ES40
- AlphaServer ES45
- AlphaServer GS80
- AlphaServer GS160
- AlphaServer GS320
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Subsystem | Covered HP Alpha hardware | ||
Serial Lines Controllers | On-board serial line port COM2, Family of PCI controllers: PBXDA-BA, PBXDA-BB, PBXDA-AC, PBXDA-AC | ||
| IDE/ATAPI CD-ROM Controller | Virtual Acer Labs 1543C | ||
| PCI Fibre Channel Controller | KGPSA-CA | ||
PCI SCSI Controller | PCI FDDI Controller | DEFPA | |
| PCI Network Controllers | DE435, DE450, DE500AA, DE500BA, DE602, DE602AA |
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The Virtualization Software presents standard HP Alpha devices to the HP Alpha operating system, allowing the OS to function as though it were still running on a HP Alpha computer. For example, virtual disk container files in a directory or physical devices of the host Windows Linux platform are presented by the Virtualization Software to the HP Alpha OS as emulated SCSI disks attached to a PCI SCSI adapter.
With the use of current storage technology, disks do not have to be physically attached to the Host platform, they can also reside on a SAN or iSCSI storage structure.
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