State of the Port

With each release more features become available along with increased stability. As of the V9.0-G release, all users run x86 OpenVMS as a Virtual Box, KVM, or VMware guest. VSI provides an appliance file (.OVA) which the customer downloads and imports.

State of the Port Logo

OpenVMS on x86 was made available to the first customer on May 15, 2020. The 11-February Release V9.0-G, the seventh overall, is the first x86 release of the year, and it’s another good one with more functionality, VMware support, and many improvements. VSI also added five additional EAK testers (approaching 50 in all) and there may be a few more in the coming days.

With each release more features become available along with increased stability. As of the V9.0-G release, all users run x86 OpenVMS as a Virtual Box, KVM, or VMware guest. VSI provides an appliance file (.OVA) which the customer downloads and imports. Release Notes and updated documentation are also provided. Components of the Cross Tools Kit are updated as needed with each release. The appliance is a preconfigured OpenVMS system. After importing the appliance, the customer simply starts the guest and OpenVMS boots. After executing the standard startup procedure, the system is ready for user login. The configuration may be changed by the customer; any guidelines noted by VSI must be followed.

The appliance has SSL and VSI TCPIP installed and the customer does a standard network configuration specific to their local network address. TELNET and FTP are the network applications available in this release. DECset (CMS, DTM, ENV), FMS, SSMgr, DWMOTIF, KERBEROS, CSWS (Apache), and DECnet IV kits are on the appliance and can be installed.

With each release more core operating system features will be available. Also, layered products and additional compiler updates (in the Cross Tools Kit) will be ready for use.

See more information on the x86 port here and register for the upcoming webinar on the state of the port here.

New and upcoming features

V9.0-G

  • VMware support for ESXi, Fusion, and Workstation Player
  • Process dump support (with some restrictions)
  • TRACEBACK improvements
  • Reserved Memory support
  • DECset: CMS, DTM, and ENVMGR (Note – this is provided in a PCSI kit instead of VMSINSTALL)
  • Kerberos
  • Updated Linker and ANALYZE cross tools
  • Boot Manager updates
  • DECthreads update

V9.0-H

  • VMware SMP - remove the 2-CPU maximum restriction
  • Introduction of VSI TCP/IP Services 6.0 (Telnet and FTP)
  • BASIC cross compiler
  • Updated FORTRAN and XMACRO cross compilers
  • OpenLDAP
  • Additional DECset tools
  • Process dump - threaded application support
  • Parallel Processing Library (PPLRTL)
x86 Roadmap

Below are a few snippets from the terminal:

Booting node VSIVB1 as single member cluster =============================== Press ESC in 1 seconds to skip startup.nsh or any other key to continue. Shell> vms_bootmgr VMS Software, Inc. OpenVMS (TM) x86_64 Operating System, XFPY-N4A Copyright 2020 VMS Software, Inc. MDS Mitigation active, variant verw(MD_CLEAR) %VMScluster-I-LOADSECDB, loading the cluster security database %EIA0, Link up: 1000 mbit, fdx, flow control (rcv only), 08-00-27-A2-B4-4E %SYSINIT-I- waiting to form or join an OpenVMS Cluster %CNXMAN, Proposing formation of a VMScluster %CNXMAN, Now a VMScluster member -- system VSIVB1 %CNXMAN, Completing VMScluster state transition %STDRV-I-STARTUP, OpenVMS startup begun at 23-OCT-2020 10:38:35.94 %MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, PAGE mounted on _$1$DKA100: (VSIVB1) %MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, USER mounted on _$1$DKA200: (VSIVB1) %RUN-S-PROC_ID, identification of created process is 20200089 %RUN-S-PROC_ID, identification of created process is 2020008A %%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 23-OCT-2020 10:38:47.58 %%%%%%%%%%% Operator _VSIVB1$OPA0: has been enabled, username SYSTEM Node VSIVB2 now joins the cluster, output from VSIVB1: ======================== $ %CNXMAN, Received VMScluster membership request from system VSIVB2 %CNXMAN, Proposing addition of system VSIVB2 %CNXMAN, Completing VMScluster state transition %%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 23-OCT-2020 11:05:31.88 %%%%%%%%%%% 11:05:31.59 Node VSIVB1 (csid 00010001) received VMScluster membership request from node VSIVB2 %%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 23-OCT-2020 11:05:32.24 %%%%%%%%%%% 11:05:31.59 Node VSIVB1 (csid 00010001) proposed addition of node VSIVB2 %%%%%%%%%%% OPCOM 23-OCT-2020 11:05:32.40 %%%%%%%%%%% 11:05:31.81 Node VSIVB1 (csid 00010001) completed VMScluster state transition $ sh sys/clus/full/noproc OpenVMS XFPY-N4A on node VSIVB1 23-OCT-2020 11:10:14.59 Uptime 0 00:07:53 VBOX VBOXFACP OpenVMS XFPY-N4A on node VSIVB2 23-OCT-2020 11:10:14.65 Uptime 0 00:04:43 VBOX VBOXFACP $ $ mc sysman SYSMAN> set env/clus %SYSMAN-I-ENV, current command environment: Clusterwide on local cluster Username SYSTEM will be used on nonlocal nodes SYSMAN> do sh dev dk/mount %SYSMAN-I-OUTPUT, command execution on node VSIVB1 Device Device Error Volume Free Trans Mnt Name Status Count Label Blocks Count Cnt $1$DKA0: (VSIVB1) Mounted 0 VB1SYS 968718 167 1 $1$DKA100: (VSIVB1) Mounted 0 PAGE 1048205 2 1 $1$DKA200: (VSIVB1) Mounted 0 USER 4193950 1 1 %SYSMAN-I-OUTPUT, command execution on node VSIVB2 Device Device Error Volume Free Trans Mnt Name Status Count Label Blocks Count Cnt $2$DKA0: (VSIVB2) Mounted 0 XFPYSYS_MUCK 968700 167 1 SYSMAN> SYSMAN> do sh time %SYSMAN-I-OUTPUT, command execution on node VSIVB1 23-OCT-2020 11:10:56 %SYSMAN-I-OUTPUT, command execution on node VSIVB2 23-OCT-2020 11:10:56 SYSMAN> SYSMAN> do mc sysgen sh scsnode %SYSMAN-I-OUTPUT, command execution on node VSIVB1 SCSNODE "VSIVB1 " " " " " "ZZZZ" Ascii %SYSMAN-I-OUTPUT, command execution on node VSIVB2 SCSNODE "VSIVB2 " " " " " "ZZZZ" Ascii SYSMAN>