Longevity, availability of VAX server 1

[alanfolkes]

I am involved in an evaluation of replacing a VAX server in an equipment control system. This server was installed 12 years agpo and has been operation non-stop for the entire time. If replaced, the software used would have to be replaced as well, at a large cost. Question 1.- What would be the realistic expected lifespan of this equipment? Question 2.- Are VAX servers still available? Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[Johnl99]

There are a number of VAR's that sell refurbished and used VAX servers and terminals (Islandco.com as an example), but it will become more difficult to purchase components as time goes by. Many of the VAX people tripped to Compaq when they bought Digital.

The bigger question will be the software as you indicated. If you are running Digital VMS, that will still be updated as OpenVMS until 2004, then will go into maintanence mode until 2010.

OpenVMS is now running well on Itanium, and depending upon Hewlett-Packards maintaining their roadmap, it will still be continued with the EV series processors until latter 2008.

You may want to consider this upgrade path starting now, so that you can jump into to fray at the right time...IMHO