To ensure maximum performance when emulating an Alpha-based system it is important to follow some guidelines regarding the set up of the host system.  These are described in the following sections.

Hardware Requirements

To run the CHARON-AXP/SMA(+) emulator products the host system must have at least two CPUs (or cores) and must be either an Intel 64 or AMD64 based processor.

When determining the best hardware configuration it is generally best to follow these three basic rules:

1. Use a processor with a speed of at least 2.8GHz.

2. Allow for 1 CPU (or core) plus the number of emulated CPUs.

3. Allow for a minimum of 2GB of RAM plus the total RAM of the emulated system.

There are other options available to achieve higher performance, including high-speed I/O controllers, but these basic rules are an excellent starting point to get a system up and running.

Operating System

The CHARON-AXP/SMA(+) virtual machine products can be run on both Microsoft Windows and GNU/Linux-based systems.  The following Microsoft Windows editions and versions are supported by Stromasys as host environments: 

• Microsoft Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2. For Charon-AXP/SMA(+) version 2.3.3, Windows 2008 R2 requires SP1 and the KB3033929 patch installed

• Microsoft Windows 8, 8.1, Server 2012 and Server 2012 R2

• Microsoft Windows 10 (only for Charon-AXP/SMA(+) version 2.3.3)