=:The OpenVMS Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)C

The OpenVMS Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)



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Chapter 2
General Information


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2.1 What is OpenVMS? What is its history?



BOpenVMS, originally called VMS (Virtual Memory System), was first Fconceived in 1976 as a new operating system for the then-new, 32-bit, Hvirtual memory line of computers, eventually named VAX (Virtual Address eXtension).

HThe first VAX model, the 11/780, was code-named "Star", hence Hthe code name for the VMS operating system, "Starlet", a name ?that remains to this day the name for the system library files (STARLET.OLB, etc.).

HVMS version X0.5 was the first released to customers, in support of the Dhardware beta test of the VAX-11/780, in 1977. VAX/VMS Version V1.0 ;shipped in 1978, along with the first revenue-ship 11/780s.

DOpenVMS was designed entirely within HP and specifically within the Eformer Digital Equipment Corporation (DIGITAL). Two of the principal Adesigners were Dave Cutler and Dick Hustvedt, though with a wide Bvariety of other contributors. OpenVMS was conceived as a 32-bit, Avirtual memory successor to the RSX-11M operating system for the FPDP-11. Many of the original designers and programmers of OpenVMS had Bworked previously on RSX-11M, and many concepts from RSX-11M were carried over to OpenVMS.

FOpenVMS VAX is a 32-bit, multitasking, multiprocessing virtual memory Eoperating system. Current implementations run on VAX systems from HP and other vendors.

GOpenVMS Alpha is a 64-bit multitasking, multiprocessing virtual memory Hoperating system. Current implementations run on Alpha systems from HP, and other vendors.

FWork to port OpenVMS to systems based on the Intel IA-64 architecture Gand specifically to the Itanium Processor Family is presently underway.

FFor more details on OpenVMS and its features, please read the OpenVMS Software Product Description at:



BAdditional information on the general features of various OpenVMS Greleases, release dates, as well as the development project code names &of specific releases, is available at:



FAdditional historical information---as well as pictures and a variety @of other trivia---is available in the VAX 20th anniversary book:



HFor information on the FreeVMS project, and on hobbyist and educational versions of OpenVMS, please see:



iAlso please see the related software licensing topics Section 2.7 and 1Section 2.14.i

2.2 What is the difference between VMS and OpenVMS?



=VMS and OpenVMS are two names for the same operating system. FOriginally, the operating system was called VAX-11/VMS; it changed to BVAX/VMS at around VAX/VMS V2.0. When the VMS operating system was Gported to the Alpha platform, it was renamed OpenVMS, for both VAX and EAlpha (and for the Itanium Processor Family), in part to signify the Chigh degree of support for industry standards such as POSIX, which 'provides many features of UNIX systems.

HFor those versions with POSIX, an OpenVMS license allows you to install Gand run POSIX for OpenVMS at no additional charge; all you need is the ?media and documentation which can be found on the Consolidated FDistribution and On-Line Documentation CD-ROMs. Support for the POSIX Hpackage on more recent OpenVMS releases is not available, various parts Gof POSIX such as calls from the API are being integrated more directly Finto OpenVMS. For more information on POSIX for VMS see question SOFT2

HWhat became confusing is that the OpenVMS name was introduced first for GOpenVMS AXP V1.0 causing the widespread misimpression that OpenVMS was Hfor Alpha AXP only, while "regular VMS" was for VAX. In fact, Fthe official name of the VAX operating system was changed as of V5.5, Gthough the name did not start to be actually used in the product until V6.0.

HThe proper names for OpenVMS on the two platforms are now "OpenVMS FVAX" and "OpenVMS Alpha", the latter having superseded "OpenVMS AXP".D

2.2.1 How do I port from VMS to OpenVMS?



iYou already did. Wasn't that easy? Please see Section 2.2 for details.[

2.3 Which is better, OpenVMS or UNIX?



FThis question comes up periodically, usually asked by new subscribers Famd new posters who are long-time UNIX or Linux users. Sometimes, the Gquestion is ignored totally; other times, it leads to a long series of Erepetitive messages that convince no one and usually carry little if Fany new information. Please do everyone a favor and avoid re-starting !this perpetual, fruitless debate.

GThat said, OpenVMS and the better implementations of UNIX are all fine Hoperating systems, each with its strengths and weaknesses. If you're in Ha position where you need to choose, select the one that best fits your Gown requirements, considering, for example, whether or not the layered 8products or specific OS features you want are available.k

2.4 Is HP continuing funding and support for OpenVMS?



Yes.

GActive development of new OpenVMS releases is underway, as well as the continuation of support.

APlease see the following URLs for details, roadmaps, and related information:

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2.5 What OpenVMS CD-ROM distribution kits are available?



$Various distributions are available.

CFor information on the available part numbers and current products F(OpenVMS distribution kits, media, documentation, etc) and associated ?licensing information, please see the OpenVMS Software Product Description (SPD), available at:



jThe CD-ROMs listed in Table 2-1 contain just the OpenVMS Alpha Doperating system. These are bootable, and can be used to run BACKUP from CD-ROM.

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Table 2-1 OpenVMS Media Kits
Part Description
 QA-MT1AP-H8 4 OpenVMS Alpha V6.1-1H2 hardware release CD-ROM
 QA-MT1AG-H8 4 OpenVMS Alpha V6.2-1H3 hardware release CD-ROM
 QA-MT1AD-H8 4 OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-1H1 hardware release CD-ROM
 QA-MT1AR-H8 5 OpenVMS Alpha V7.1-2 maintenance release CD-ROM
 QA-MT1AT-H8 5 OpenVMS Alpha V7.2-1 maintenance release CD-ROM
 QA-MT1AU-H8 4 OpenVMS Alpha V7.2-1H1 hardware release CD-ROM


oThe table Table 2-2 contains the consolidated ECO distribution kit Asubscriptions, and these provide sites with eight updates of the current ECO kits per year:

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Table 2-2 OpenVMS ECO Kits
Part Description
 QT-3CQAA-C8  OpenVMS Alpha
 QT-3CRAA-C8  OpenVMS VAX


HThe OpenVMS VAX and OpenVMS Alpha source listings CD-ROM sets listed in uTable 2-3 include the source listings of most of OpenVMS, and these GCD-ROM sets are invaluable for any folks working directly with OpenVMS Einternals, as well as folks interested in seeing examples of various programming interfaces.

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Table 2-3 OpenVMS Source Listings CD-ROM Kits
Part Description
 QB-MT1AB-E8 * OpenVMS Alpha Source Listings CD-ROM
 QT-MT1AB-Q8 2 OpenVMS Alpha Source Listings CD-ROM Updates
 QB-001AB-E8 ( OpenVMS VAX Source Listings CD-ROM
 QT-001AB-Q8 0 OpenVMS VAX Source Listings CD-ROM Updates
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2.6 In what language is OpenVMS written?



2OpenVMS is written in a wide variety of languages.

HIn no particular order, OpenVMS components are implemented using Bliss, AMacro, Ada, PLI, VAX and DEC C, Fortran, UIL, VAX and Alpha SDL, HPascal, MDL, DEC C++, DCL, Message, and Document. And this is certainly Hnot a complete list. However, the rumor is NOT true that an attempt was Hmade to write pieces of OpenVMS in every supported language so that the FRun-Time Libraries could not be unbundled. (APL, BASIC, COBOL and RPG 0are just some of the languages NOT represented!)

BThere are a large variety of small and not-so-small tools and DCL Ecommand procedures that are used as part of the OpenVMS build, and a Asource code control system capable of maintaining over a hundred Ethousand source files across multiple parallel development projects, and overlapping releases.d

2.7 How do I obtain or transfer a VMS license?



GIf you are an Encompass member and are considering acquiring and using @a VAX or Alpha system for hobbyist (non-commercial) use, (free) Flicenses for OpenVMS VAX and OpenVMS Alpha are available to Encompass Gmembers. In addition to the license, VAX and Alpha distribution CD-ROM Ekits are available with OpenVMS, DECwindows Motif, DECnet and TCP/IP 9networking, compilers, and a variety of layered products.

!For further information, link to:



GOn the hobbyist license registration form (as of August 2001), you are Boffered the choice of the "OpenVMS VAX" license(s), the <"OpenVMS Alpha" license(s), and the "Layered HProducts" licenses. You will want the operating system license for @your particular OpenVMS platform and you will want the &"Layered Products" licenses.

FFor vendors wishing to license products specifically for hobbyist use F(and to not issue hobbyist PAKs), the program provides hobbyists with !the license PAK OPENVMS-HOBBYIST.

FFor information on OpenVMS licenses for educational customers, please Hsee the HP Campus Software License Grant (CSLG) license program and the $OpenVMS Educational license program:



GTo transfer a commercial OpenVMS license from one owner to another, or Hto purchase a commercial license, you can contact HP at 1-800-OK-COMPAQ G(in North America), or your local or regional sales office or reseller.

HCommercial developers can join the HP Solutions Alliance (CSA) program, Dand can (potentially) receive discounts on various software product Glicenses and software distributions, as well as on hardware purchases. <Please see Section 2.14.i

2.8 Does OpenVMS support the Euro currency symbol?



COpenVMS can generate the %xA4 character code used for the EEuro, and the DECwindows DECterm can display the glyph. Please check Ewith the vendor of your terminal or terminal emulator for additional details.

CFor additional information on the support of the European Monetary 1Union Euro currency glyph on OpenVMS, please see:

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2.9 Why hasn't OpenVMS been ported to Intel (IA-32) systems?



Why? Business reasons...

GThere is presently a belief that there would be insufficient market to Hjustify the cost involved in porting OpenVMS to systems using the Intel DIA-32 architecture. In addition to the direct costs involved in any Cport, each maintainer of a product or a package for OpenVMS has to Gjustify the port to "OpenVMS Pentium" or to OpenVMS Itanium, Hakin to the required justifications for a product port from OpenVMS VAX to OpenVMS Alpha.

"But yes, it would be nice to have.

FAnd yes, OpenVMS Engineering is well aware of AMD Opteron/Hammer, too.m

2.10 Are there any network-accessable OpenVMS systems?



2Yes, though various restrictions can and do apply.

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2.11 What version of OpenVMS do I need?



HFor information on supported platforms, please see the OpenVMS Software @Product Description (SPD) for the particular OpenVMS version of interest.



BFor a table of OpenVMS versions for various platforms, please see:



HFor information on the Multia, related Alpha single-board computers, or gother officially unsupported systems, please see Section 14.5 and 4Section 14.10.

GThe following is a rule-of-thumb for Alpha platform support. The table iTable 2-4 contains the earliest OpenVMS Alpha release with support 5for a particular series of Alpha microprocessors:

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Table 2-4 OpenVMS Alpha Version Rule-Of-Thumb
Microprocessor Generation OpenVMS Version General Comments
 21064 EV4 V1.0 < few systems; most EV4 require later; upgrade available
 21164 EV5 V6.2 " subsequent upgrade available
 21164A EV56  V6.2-1H3 * subsequent upgrade to V7.1 and later
 21264 EV6 V7.1-2 5 subsequent upgrade typically to V7.2-1 or later
 21264A EV67 V7.1-2 5 subsequent upgrade typically to V7.2-1 or later
 xxxxxx EV68 V7.2-1 . believed/probable; currently expectation
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2.12 How can I submit OpenVMS Freeware?



=For the guidelines and submission info, please visit the URL:



HTo order the current OpenVMS Freeware CD-ROM kit (shipping and handling 7charges apply), please request part number QA-6KZAA-H8.\

2.13 Porting applications to OpenVMS?



DPorting can range from simple to rather complex, and depends on the 'features used on the original platform.

EThis section covers generic porting, and porting from OpenVMS VAX to COpenVMS Alpha. (Porting from OpenVMS VAX to OpenVMS Alpha is often Cquite simple and involves little more than rebuilding from source, Fthough a few applications using features specific to VAX will require some additional effort to port.)

ASeveral manuals on porting from OpenVMS VAX to OpenVMS Alpha are Eavailable in the OpenVMS documentation set, including information on Fporting VAX Macro32 assembler code to the Macro32 compiler on OpenVMS DAlpha, on management differences, on upgrading privileged code, and application migration:



:Details on the C programming environment are available at:



6Details on porting VAX C to HP C are are available at:



+An OpenVMS Porting Library is available at:



BInformation on the Enterprise Toolkit, a Visual-based development Fenvironment for developing applications for OpenVMS using a Microsoft platform, is available at:



?Details on DCE, CORBA, BridgeWorks, and COM/DCOM middleware is available at:



1Information on the COE standards is available at:



CA wide variety of programming development tools and middleware are Aavailable as commercial products (eg: DECset, IBM MQseries), and Fvarious tools are also available as shareware or Freeware. Please see +other sections of this FAQ, and please see:

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2.14 How do I join HP Solutions Alliance?



HThe HP Solutions Alliance (CSA) is a (free) program that is open to and Dthat supports software partners, consultants, and service providers:



ECSA provides members with discounts on hardware, porting assistance, and many other benefits.

@For those familiar with the program, the DIGITAL Association of GSoftware and Application Parterns (ASAP) program has been incorporated into CSA.

5The HP Solutions Alliance Technical Journal (CTJ) is 4"web-published" monthly, and available at:

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2.15 memory management, resource management, process scheduling, etc?



@So you have been instructed to write a school research paper on FOpenVMS, and you need technical content on the OpenVMS Virtual Memory GSystem, on any memory segmentation, on OpenVMS Resource Management, on <the OpenVMS File System, on the OpenVMS user interface, etc.

GInvariably, your professor/instructor/teacher will ask you a series of Equestions. Most commonly, the questions will request descriptions of Done or more of the following items, and at varying levels of detail:



BAny particular presentation or research paper, and particularly a Bscholastic presentation, can have many different potential target Faudiences, and very different presentation levels. Further, the usual Gunderlying reason for scholastic presentations and scholastic research Gprojects really has little to do with the subject matter, it is a task Gspecifically intended to teach the student(s) (eg: you) how to perform Athe research. The instructor already knows most of (all of?) the 0information that you have been asked to collect.

FFor very technical details on OpenVMS and OpenVMS internals, the book Gyou want is the Internals and Data Structures Manual (IDSM), available Ein your school or computing center library, and the IDSM can also be Hpurchased. Additional technical details of the Alpha microprocessor are Havailable in the Alpha Architecture Reference Manual documentation that Fis available for download. (Pointers to Alpha technical documentation Tare available in Section 14.7, and elsewhere.)

EFor higher-level (less technical) details, the OpenVMS documentation Hset is available on-line. The Programming Concepts and the File Systems Emanual are probably the best manuals to start with, depending on the 1particular level of detail the research requires.

EAnd please understand the hesitation of various folks to provide you Gwith a completely-written research report on your topic. Why? We might Chave to work with you after you graduate---you need to know how to Eperform at least basic research on your own, regardless of the topic.




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