Alpha Virtualization technical product overview

Alpha virtualization products, the CHARON-AXP product family, are Alpha computer replacement systems, running as a software service that creates an Alpha hardware abstraction layer on modern standard servers. This layer provides to the overlaying Alpha operating system and application the exact interface of an Alpha hardware system.

One can copy the disk content from the hardware Alpha to CHARON-AXP and continue using the software as it is. Or one can install the Alpha operating system directly from its original distribution kit on the virtual Alpha created by CHARON-AXP and copy the user environment. Operating system license keys are transferred in the same way. All original functionality remains unchanged.

The host system can be an Intel or AMD processor based server that supports 64-bit operation. It must run Windows x64 2003 Server. One (1) host CPU is required per emulated Alpha CPU; and one (1) additional host CPU is required for the host operating system and some outsourced emulation tasks.

The memory required is 1.5 GB plus the amount of emulated Alpha memory. It is possible to run multiple CHARON-AXP occurrences in parallel on one sufficiently configured host system or in a LAN or WAN network. Check the Server Consolidation page for more information.

When run on a host system with 3 GHz multi-core processors, CHARON-AXP delivers equal or better performance than the hardware Alpha system it replaces. Using CHARON-AXP may provide extra capacity to grow the system load, without adding new hardware.

Alpha storage space can be either virtual disks (i.e. container files in the Windows file structure), Windows physical disks or raw SCSI devices. A similar approach is valid for tapes. USB tapes, disks, CD-ROM's and floppy disks are supported on the host system, the Alpha operating system will see them as normal devices. The standard storage device is SCSI, however other options are available for OpenVMS users. Consult the CHARON-AXP documentation or contact your Reseller or Stromasys for more information.

Virtual disk devices can be used to combine multiple smaller disks on one host disk or to transfer data to a Storage Area Network SAN.

Per virtual Alpha, four Ethernet adapters and ten virtual storage adapters (delivering up to 1200 addressable storage devices) are supported. Serial lines adapter support is included in the standard product as are the 2 standard COM-ports.

This diagram indicates which CHARON-AXP product is best suited to replace a given Alpha computer: