Virtualize with Charon-VAX Emulator: Easy and Effective

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“It’s even more stable than the original VAX,” said a client after deploying Charon-VAX.

For businesses still relying on VAX hardware, this statement speaks volumes. With each passing year, maintaining outdated hardware becomes riskier and more expensive.

With Charon-VAX’s lift and shift approach, you gain stability without the headache of a full replacement. The virtualization process is simple, effective, and keeps operations running smoothly.

In this blog, we’ll explain why Charon-VAX is the smart choice, how it simplifies virtualization, and why it’s the right answer for keeping essential systems alive.

Why is Charon-VAX the go-to Choice for IT Decision Makers?

Because mission-critical applications are hanging by a thread on failing hardware. The stakes are so high that enterprises have no choice but to act quickly.

VAX hardware has served its purpose, but it’s old. It is costly to maintain, parts are harder to find, and the risk of unplanned downtime increases every day. When these systems go down, business grinds to a halt. That presents a critical risk scenario.

On the other hand, replacing the entire application itself is risky. Business continuity is dependent on it. A complete replacement means downtime, retraining and a hefty cost.

Above all, there is no guarantee that a newer application will handle all your business requirements as effectively as your existing OpenVMS application.

This is where Charon-VAX emulator emerges as a cost-effective, quick and less risky alternative. It enables businesses to keep their current applications on modern hardware with minimal modifications without the need for costly recompilation or any other rewriting.

The best part? You get a performance boost without the headache of transitioning to an entirely different system. So, for decision-makers, it’s the most logical and reliable solution.

How Does Charon-VAX Emulator Transforms Your Legacy Systems?

Charon-VAX emulator offers flexibility with both on-premises and cloud deployment options. This flexibility makes it easy for companies to eliminate aging VAX hardware without massive changes to their existing systems and processes except the underlying hardware.

Here’s how it works:

Charon-VAX emulator works on principles of lift and shift emulation.

It creates a virtual VAX environment on standard Linux or Windows-based hosts.

Then, it emulates the original VAX hardware and allows the OpenVMS operating system & applications to run just as they did on physical VAX server.

The key advantage of this transformation is that it doesn’t involve any risky migrations or modifications. In fact, the end users won’t even notice that the hardware infrastructure has been changed.

The benefits are substantial:

• First, it eliminates the need to maintain old, expensive, and unreliable hardware
• Second, it improves performance and reliability by running on modern, enterprise-grade systems
• Finally, it ensures business continuity by allowing companies to continue using their existing OpenVMS applications without disruption. All of this while cutting costs and avoiding the complexities of a full system changes.

Charon-VAX Success Stories

Charon-VAX emulator aids companies breathe new life into legacy applications without the need for outdated VAX hardware.

Take ABB Minden, for example. They were dependent on their aging VAX-11/750 computers for critical operations. But as time went on, those machines became a constant source of worry for the management. The fear of failure, skyrocketing costs, and potential data loss were growing concerns.

By switching to Charon-VAX, they were able to virtualize their system. This in turn helped them to cut costs and eliminate the risks tied to their aging hardware.

And ABB Minden isn’t alone in their success. Just ask Steve Olson, the VMS Systems Manager at Fidelity National Financial. Here is what he thinks about Charon-VAX:

“Space is a big commodity. Using Charon-VAX, we went from refrigerator-sized VAX hardware that also required a refrigerator-sized array, to a modern, rackable HP DL 2U server.”

That’s the kind of transformation Stromasys delivers. Reduced costs, improved efficiency, and peace of mind.

Do you want to realize similar results for your business?

Talk to an Expert

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a VAX emulator?

VAX emulator is an emulator software that creates a virtual replica of the original hardware either on-premises or on-cloud so that the legacy OS can run as it did on the original hardware without even noticing the fact that the hardware has been replaced.

2. Can I run my existing applications on Charon-VAX?

Yes, your existing OpenVMS applications can run unmodified on Charon-VAX emulator.

3. Is VAX still in use?

Yes, VAX servers continue to be utilized in specialized applications by companies that operate their legacy operating systems on them.

4. What Does VAX do?

VAX servers are used for various purposes, including performing complex calculations, managing data, facilitating research projects, and enhancing productivity through multitasking capabilities.