openvmstimes

This first issue of "Compaq OpenVMS Times" for January 2000 serves as an introduction to OpenVMS products, solutions, and activities, emphasizing its continued relevance and leadership in mission-critical IT environments.

Key highlights include:

• Performance & Reliability: Cerner Corporation saw significant performance gains (43-53%) by upgrading to EV67 AlphaServer technology for their Millennium application on OpenVMS and Oracle. Sunoco credits its OpenVMS cluster for speed and reliability in optimizing refinery processes, leading to substantial profits. The world's largest web search engine, Northern Light, runs exclusively on OpenVMS AlphaServers for its 24x7 availability and scalability.
• e-Business & Strategic Focus: OpenVMS is positioned as a key component of Compaq's NonStop™ eBusiness strategy, providing highly available and scalable platforms. Examples given include national railway reservations, financial services, automobile production lines, and telecom billing, highlighting OpenVMS's role in 24x365 critical operations, with some systems running for over 18 years without a reboot.

• Modernization & Integration:

  • Web Enabling: New products like DECforms Web Connector V2.0 offer transparent web access to existing applications, while Mozilla technology for OpenVMS on AlphaSystems is available as a demo. Compaq BridgeWorks helps create reusable components from existing OpenVMS applications, extending their reach to web and desktop clients.
  • Networking: Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Version 5.0 offers robust integration with UNIX and Windows NT systems, supporting existing DECnet applications over TCP/IP, and is ready for IPv6.
  • VAX Migration/Support: Articles discuss the compelling reasons to migrate VAX customers to Alpha-based solutions, and the VAX Adapter is introduced to modernize existing VAX systems' storage infrastructure without full system upgrades.

• Cost-Effectiveness: A TechWise Research study found OpenVMS offered the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in most server classes compared to UNIX RISC alternatives.

• System Management & Availability: OpenVMS Galaxy is introduced, allowing multiple instances of OpenVMS to run cooperatively on a single computer for dynamic resource management, improved availability, and reduced downtime. ACMS V4.3 provides enhanced remote management capabilities.
• Investment Protection: Continued support for X.25-based applications with X.25 Version 1.3 is provided, along with updates to storage management products for compatibility with latest AlphaServer systems. The distinction between VMS and OpenVMS is clarified, emphasizing the continued evolution and investment in the operating system.

The newsletter concludes with a look ahead to future OpenVMS opportunities, reinforcing Compaq's commitment to delivering robust and scalable solutions.