Skip to main content

Fujitsu

New Zealand

Archived content

NOTE: this is an archived page and the content is likely to be out of date.

Fujitsu’s OpenVMS/Tru64 emulation service

Fujitsu Australia & New Zealand Legacy Modernisation

Fujitsu and our Legacy Modernisation partner United Business Solutions bring to the market a highly efficient service to move your OpenVMS/TRU64 systems, quickly and with minimal risk to a robust Windows server running the globally recognised CHARON® emulator from Stromasys™ SA of Geneva.

The Challenges of Migrating

There are over 200,000 VAX/VMS systems still in operation worldwide, with approximately 5 per cent of these in Australia and New Zealand. The fact they are being used is a credit to the value of the data within the applications and their richness, plus the effort required and the risks involved in switching from OpenVMS. Many existing VAX/VMS customers have migrated to Windows, Solaris, HP-UX etc., and OpenVMS on Integrity. Many will also have VAX/VMS applications running on original VAX hardware because of the time and cost of migration using traditional methods.

The same story applies for the more recent AlphaServer platform with OpenVMS and Tru64 UNIX. It is estimated that there are still close to 8,000 Alpha systems in Australia working to deliver business value.

Both environments have been a major problem for Hewlett Packard to retain using their own technology.

Our service is quick to execute, simple to understand and demonstrate, safe and secured. HP has given assurances of continued support for OpenVMS and Tru64 for many years to come, even though hardware support costs will escalate.

Our VAX/VMS service virtualises VAX/VMS environments, unmodified to run on industry standard Windows 2003 Servers, or as virtual machines on HP’s OpenVMS Integrity platform. Our AlphaServer migration for OpenVMS and Tru64 UNIX virtualises these environments on industry standard Windows 2003/X64 server hardware.

The options available to VAX/VMS, OpenVMS and Tru64 customers have been:

  • stay with the same hardware, hoping it will not break
  • re-write the system manually in the same or new language
  • replace the application with a modern application or
  • decommission the applications and retire associated data.

Rewriting the system yourself is a high-risk, expensive and time-consuming undertaking. Replacing the applications is expensive and takes a number of years to complete, test, retrain users and maintain.

Issue/ risk Our Service Mitigation
Risk of Migration Completion Over 3,000 systems have been converted worldwide using these emulators
OpenVMS Skill Scarcity OpenVMS and Tru64 UNIX become applications on a familiar hardware and Windows environment, so areas of skill such as backups are replaced by Windows backups.
Complexity of Storage Complexity is reduced by using familiar Server, SAN and Tape Storage
Performance Constraints Performance can be increased or decreased as appropriate for the clients needs
Manual Migration Risks and Costs: Takes time and always involves end user re-training and validation of the new application logic. Our Service is fast, low risk, low costs and involves limited operator training and no requirements for end user training

Fujitsu’s Approach

Fujitsu, with Legacy Modernisation partner United Business Solutions, has designed a smarter approach to moving your OpenVMS systems from high-risk legacy infrastructure to a more efficient, robust and ecologically friendly alternative. To begin with, we request that you fill in the Legacy Modernisation questionnaire which can be downloaded from our Legacy Modernisation web page on the OpenVMS Service. This will allow us to give you an approximate cost and timeframe. We then conduct an application value assessment workshop to learn about your environment, desired outcomes and accurate timeframes and costing. We combine our widely recognised strength in project management, our experience in the design and delivery of mission-critical systems and the specialist skills of our partners, UBS, to deliver a smooth and efficient implementation of the emulation service.

In association with UBS we normally propose a 6 phase approach to each migration:

  1. Detailed analysis of systems to build a suitable hardware, software and services plan.
  2. Create the virtual machines using this information and any variations agreed with you, such as increased disk capacity, tape backup procedures, availability requirements.
  3. Build and backup
    space
    1. Build solution: Install hardware, software infrastructure for production and disaster recovery.
    2. Backup modification: Write/modify backup and restore process to enable NetBackup to be used for daily/weekly/ monthly backup cycles.
  4. Application and operational assurance: Boot and start the application and environment off the production network, ask for an end-user test and assurance test that all applications appear unchanged, and then to ask for operational assurance tests to ensure that all existing operation and procedures are identical to the real systems.
  5. Switch to production mode of operation on emulated environment. This involves establishing an outage so that the data migration can be commenced using the last known data point. A full backup of all production data will be done using the production servers. This will be used (read-only) to restore the data to the virtual machines.
  6. Operations training of how to manage and operate the new environment. The end-users will see no changes at all.

As required by individual customers, Fujitsu can source:

  • Any new hardware required and/or
  • Any data centre usage from our stable of data centres around the region.

The Benefits

The major benefits of the Fujitsu Legacy Modernisation service for OpenVMS and Tru64 are:

  • Rapid implementation on industry standard hardware with the option of increased performance
  • Replacement of old, expensive hardware with a limited spares base and improved reliability
  • Reduced data centre floor space and electricity consumption
  • Faster running infrastructure
  • Preservation of current data and application investments, easing the retention of data
  • No change in current business processes or operational skills, in fact operation skills requirement reduces due to replacement of complicated backup procedures
  • Creation of room for future growth
  • Tested against the original DEC AXE verification test suite
  • Product variations available to match different application needs
  • Accepted as a legitimate OpenVMS replacement at an affordable cost
  • Adaptable product design and flexible support, licensing and pricing conditions to satisfy the defence, justice industries, OEM or high volume end-user requirements
  • Retention of HP software support option if required
  • Enhanced disaster recovery options
  • Ability to undertake industry standard backup procedures.

From our previous experience, the projects are measured in weeks not months and the risk profile is considerably less than leaving the applications on the older and more temperamental machinery.

Legacy Modernisation Alliance Partner

Microsoft Gold Partner

Want to know more? - Contact us

To find out how we can service your requirements in Australia please call +61 2 9113 9368 or email Legacy.Modernisation@au.fujitsu.com or in New Zealand please call +64 4 495 0700 or email Legacy.Modernisation@nz.fujitsu.com for free information with no obligation or download the questionnaire and send it to our email address.