Virtualization of Alpha Hardware
CHARON-AXP creates a virtual Alpha environment on a standard Windows or Linux based host system.
bcconnect & Stromasys customers can quickly, easily, and safely phase out aging and increasingly expensive DEC hardware, and replace it with an enterprise-grade virtual Alpha environment on an industry-standard x86 platform.
No risky migration projects are required, no changes to the original software (operating system, layered products or applications), its procedures or handling have to be applied. Your end users will not even notice that the hardware platform has been replaced!
For almost every Alpha that was ever manufactured, we offer a CHARON-AXP equivalent. HP recognizes CHARON-AXP as a valid Alpha replacement platform to run OpenVMS or Tru64.
No application source code or conversion is required, no matter which Alpha hardware platform your software was running.
Storage Subsystem
CHARON-AXP supports both virtualized storage as well as physical storage. Physical storage is associated with local SCSI devices allocated to CHARON-AXP. Virtual storage (container files) can reside on any storage subsystem presented to the host system. This can be local storage either SCSI, SATA, IDE or any other local storage. Additionally any network attached storage can be utilized that is supported by the host, including iSCSI, SAN, NAS, Samba/CIFS and NFS. Enterprise class CHARON-AXP products support direct connection to SAN with Emulex FC adapters. CHARON-AXP also supports VMS and Tru64 Clustering.
Input/Output Subsystems
CHARON-AXP provides a variety of networking and character terminal oriented interfaces. CHARON-AXP virtualizes the Ethernet controllers present in the original AXP hardware. Any protocol that ran on these controllers (DECnet, TCP/IP, LAT) will run over a virtualized link.
License Transfer Options
Keep your OpenVMS or Tru64 UNIX operating system supported with a transfer license from HP. These licenses allow the transfer of OpenVMS and Tru64 UNIX operating systems and layered product licenses to servers running CHARON-AXP environment, providing a continuation of the existing HP software warranty agreements. HP Services supports HP OpenVMS software and Tru64 software on Charon products running on HP systems only.