The VAX and OpenVMS: Looking Back, Looking Ahead by Andy Goldstein

1. The VAX and OpenVMS
looking back, looking ahead
Andy Goldstein
Andy.Goldstein@compaq.com
with thanks to Jesse Lipcon et al

2. In the Beginning
Confining Software Environment, Limited
Scaleability, Incompatible Systems
w PDP-11 Popularity
w 16-bit Architecture
w Architecture Limitations
w 1974: Should we build a 32-bit
PDP-11?

3. Genealogy of the VAX
PDP-11/70 22
PDP-11/20 16 PDP-11/45 18 bit address
bit address bit address
Unibus Unibus Unibus
Massbus
DEC-10 KL-10

4. Genealogy (continued)
VAX-11/780
29 bit address
Dragon
Unibus
Massbus
Unicorn DEC-20/20

5. 1975: STAR and STARLET goals
Beginning a 20 year tradition
of shattering barriers and breaking the rules
w April 1975: Gordon Bell says “Go”
w Integrated Hardware and
Software Design
w Expand Addressing to 32 Bit
w Highly Scaleable Architecture
w One System, Compatible Tools

6. Do The Math
232 Is A Whole Lot More Than Two Times 216
w Eliminates Software “Overlays”
216 w Critical Software (e.g., RMS)
Stays Resident
w Improved Performance
– Programmer Efficiency
2 32 – Program Execution

7. VAXA Committee
w Gordon Bell w Richie Lary
w Peter Conklin w Dave Rogers
w Dave Cutler w Steve Rothman
w Bill Demmer w Bill Strecker, chief
w Tom Hastings architect

8. Early Development
w Sept 1975 SRM Rev 1
w April 1976 April Task Force
w June-Aug Detailed software design
w Sept 1976 Hardware simulator and initial system
kernel
w April 1977 DCL and file system
w June 1977 Breadboard and first VMS timesharing

9. Initial VMS Design Team
By November, 1975...
w Dave Cutler, w Dick Hustvedt
project leader
w Hank Levy
w Andy Goldstein
w Peter Lipman
w Roger Gourd,
manager w Trev Porter
w Roger Heinen

10. SRM V1 Memory Management
AM Segment Number Page Byte Offset
ISN Page Byte Offset
PFN Byte Offset

11. IST PT
PCB
ST PT
PSM
PT
ST PT
Address ST PT
PT
Translation
PT
PCB
ST
PSM PT
PT
ST
PT
PT

12. Early Development
w Sept 1975 SRM Rev 1
w April 1976 April Task Force
w June-Aug Detailed software design
w Sept 1976 Hardware simulator and initial system
kernel
w April 1977 DCL and file system
w June 1977 Breadboard and first VMS timesharing

13. 780 Prototype Power On

14. Program Development and Testing
Program Cross
PDP-11 Source OBJ Linker EXE
Assembler
RK05
Program Bliss
DEC-10 Source OBJ Hardware
Compiler
Simulator

15. Timesharing on the Prototype
w Prototype 780, 1MB memory
– 2 RP06 + RK07
w VT52s in the offices
w Self-supporting
– System builds
– Bliss Compiler
– “Eat our own dog food”

16. 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982...
Announcement of DIGITAL’s
32-bit Computing System
w October 25, 1977
w VAX-11/780
w VMS V1.0 Announced

17. October 1977 Announcement

18. V1.0 Development Team

19. 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982...
w VMS V1.0 Shipped
w DECnet Phase II
w FORTRAN IV
w Up to 64 MB Memory

20. An Unprecedented Platform
Multiple Evolutionary Paths, One Direction
w Multi-Board to Single Chip
w Ultimate CISC to RISC Processor
Architecture

21. 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982...
Low-Cost, High-Performance Networking -- Built Right In!
w DECnet Phase III
w VMS V2.0
w New Programming Tools
w Ethernet Products
w VAX-11/750

22. V2.0 Development Team

23. 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982...
32-Bit Addressing + Integrated Software
Tools = Development Productivity
w VAX Information Architecture
w Common Data Dictionary
w RMS and VAX-11 DBMS
w Datatrieve
w CALLable From Any VMS
Programming Language

24. 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982...
A Long History of Growing Up -- And Down!
w VAX-11/730
w VMS V3.0
w RA60 and RA81 Disk Drives
w Digital Storage Architecture
w ALL-IN-1

25. 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988...
VAXclusters -- 24 x 365 Computing
Leadership, Then and Now!
w VAXcluster Technology
w 16 Node Star Architecture
w CI Connectivity
w HSC50
w DECnet Phase IV
w VAX-11/725

26. 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988...
A Solid and Stable Production System -- For
Business and Engineering!
w VMS V4.0
w VAX Rdb/VMS
w VAX-11/785
w VAX 8600
w VAXstation I
w MicroVAX I

27. 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988...
All That Power -- On a Single Chip!
w VMS V4.2
w VAX11 ACMS
w MicroVAX Chip
w MicroVAX II
w VAXstation II/GPX

28. 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988...
VAXcluster Power, Implemented Using Cost-Effective
LAN Technology!
w VMS V4.5
w VAX 8800
w Local Area VAXclusters

29. 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988...
“When You Care Enough to Steal The Very Best!”
w VAXstation 2000
w MicroVAX 2000
w CVAX Chip…
When You Care Enough
to Steal the Very Best!
w MicroVAX 3500 and 3600

30. 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988...
High-Speed Internal Bus + Tightly Coupled SMP =
High Performance!
w VAX 6000
w VMS V5.0
w Symmetric Multiprocessing
w VAX 6200

31. 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994...
Increasing Power and Expandability
w VMS V5.1 and V5.2
w VAXstation 3100
w MicroVAX 3100
w VAX 6300
w Rigel Chip Set
w VAX 4000-300
w VAX 6000

32. 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994...
Proprietary Power -- Plus the Flexibility of
Open Interfaces and Networking
w VMS V5.4
w VAXft 3000
w Mariah Chip Set
w VAX 6500

33. 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994...
Digital and Microsoft Unite to Promote
OpenVMS in Client/Server Networks
w OpenVMS Name Change
Announced
w OpenVMS V5.5
w Digital-Microsoft Alliance
Promotes PATHWORKS
w DECnet Phase V
w NVAX Chip

34. 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994...
Shattering Barriers - Again - With 64-Bit
Computing!
w Alpha 64-Bit Processor
Architecture
w VAX 7000
w First Release of
OpenVMS AXP V1.0 for Alpha

35. 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994...
Breaking the rules again: “You can’t port
OpenVMS. It’s written in assembler!”
w The macro compiler
– a language is a language...
w Binary translation
– and so is machine code!

36. 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994...
Worldwide Initiative for Client/Server Computing
w OpenVMS AXP V1.5
w OpenVMS VAX V6.0
w Digital 2100 Alpha AXP Server
w Second Generation of Alpha
AXP Servers and Workstations

37. 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994...
OpenVMS VAX and OpenVMS Alpha Meet
w OpenVMS VAX V6.1
w OpenVMS Alpha V6.1
w DIGITAL 2100 Alpha AXP Server

38. 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000...
OpenVMS V7.0 - breaking the rules yet again
w OpenVMS VAX V7.0
w OpenVMS Alpha V7.0 with
64-Bit, VLM/VLDB Support
w Affinity Wave 1
w The Biggest Release of
OpenVMS Since V5.0
®

39. 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000...
Do The Math -- Again!
w VAX and VMS 32-Bit Addressing
Capability…
w Q: If VAX 32-Bit Addressing
Equates to 20 Minutes of TV,
What Size Multimedia Can 64-Bit
Manage?

40. 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000...
w AlphaServer and OpenVMS
64-Bit Addressing Capability
w A: Every TV Show Ever Shown
Since 1948!

41. Evolution of Compute Power
Orders of Magnitude Increased Performance

42. The SMP Multiplier
Even more power through multiprocessing

43. Industry Leading Technology
Mission-Critical Commercial Leadership
w #1 in Healthcare Industry
w 90% of the World’s CPU Chips
w 66% of the World’s Funds
Transfers
w Dominance in Gaming/Lottery
Industry
w Critical defense applications

44. 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003...
The Next Generation…Here Now!
w Embraces Large
Multi-CPU Systems
Using a New
Computing Model
w Leverages Existing
Cluster Technology
w Overcomes Software
SMP & MMP Limitations

45. 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003...
Coming soon…Intel Inside!
w Breaking the rules yet again:
What about all the special Alpha
features that support OpenVMS?
– It’s all software!

46. Itanium™ comes to OpenVMS Clusters
OpenVMS
OpenVMS VAX OpenVMS Alpha ItaniumTM
LAN for
Host-to-
Host
Comm.
FC Switch
Star Coupler
HSJ HSG/HSV
CI Storage Fibre Channel Storage

47. 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003...
Where Do You Want to Go - Tomorrow?
w A First Class Commercial Machine
w For Unlimited High-end Computing
w On OpenVMS!