Introduction

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General Description

VAX Hardware Virtualization allows users of HP VAX computers to move application software and user data to a non-VAX platform without having to make changes to software and data. VAX Hardware Virtualization is a software solution that replaces VAX hardware. 

This approach is best understood when the VAX Hardware Virtualization Software is viewed as a special interface between the old VAX software and a new hardware platform.  Basically, the CHARON software presents a VAX hardware interface to the original VAX 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 or 32-bit Intel or AMD) and continue to run for many more years.

The VAX virtualization software is designed to replace single and multi-CPU VAX computer systems, including:

• MicroVAX II
• MicroVAX 3600
• MicroVAX 3900
• MicroVAX 3100 models 96 and 98
• VAXserver 3600
• VAXserver 3900
• VAXstation 4000 models 90, 106, 108, 700 and 705
• VAX 6310
• VAX 6610, 6620, 6630, 6640, 6650 and 6660

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The principles of VAX Hardware Virtualization

In order to make the correct decisions regarding how to apply VAX Hardware Virtualization or Emulation, it is important to make a distinction between the VAX hardware that is virtualized or emulated and the (non-VAX) hardware from the (non-VAX) hardware host platform that carries the VAX Virtualization Software.

Virtualized hardware 

CHARON-VAX virtualizes various VAX architectures and meets or exceeds the performance level of these VAX systems when run on the recommended hardware platform. Our VAX emulator product is currently available in the following variants:

Product CHARON-VAX/XM includes:

• • MicroVAX II
  • MicroVAX 3600
  • MicroVAX 3900
  • VAXserver 3600 (includes both the standard version supporting 64 MB of RAM and a custom version supporting up to 128Mb of RAM)
  • VAXserver 3900 (both standard and special version supporting up to 128Mb of RAM)
  • MicroVAX 3100 model 96
  • VAX 4000 model 106
  • VAXstation 4000 model 90

Product CHARON-VAX/XL includes:

• • MicroVAX 3100 model 98
  • VAX 4000 model 108
  • VAX 4000 model 700
  • VAX 4000 model 705
  • VAX 6310
  • VAXserver 3600 (custom version with maximum of emulated memory of 512 MB)
  • VAXserver 3900 (custom version with maximum of emulated memory of 512 MB)

Product: CHARON-VAX/6610 includes:

• • VAX 6610

Product: CHARON-VAX/6620 includes:

• • VAX 6620

Product: CHARON-VAX/6630 includes:

• • VAX 6630

Product: CHARON-VAX/6640 includes:

• • VAX 6640

Product: CHARON-VAX/6650 includes:

• • VAX 6650

Product: CHARON-VAX/6660 includes:

• • VAX 6660

The following table explains which hardware boards we virtualize:

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Host platform

The Virtualization Software presents standard VAX devices to the VAX operating system, allowing the OS to function as though it were still running on a VAX computer. For example, virtual disk container files in a directory or device files in /dev directory of the host Linux platform are presented by the Virtualization Software to the VAX OS as emulated SCSI disks attached to a 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.

A similar translation process is also valid for other emulated hardware devices.

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