The idea of replacing an AlphaServer by a virtual Alpha running on a modern and more common host computer is welcomed by most IT managers. The concept of computer virtualization is a functional and financial very attractive solution. The main advantages are that Alpha virtualization is a very quick and inexpensive way to move your existing applications to a newer platform.
It lets you prolong the lifetime of valuable and important applications by replacing the supporting hardware platform. Not having to change your delicate and expensive software is a very important benefit.
The importance of their applications makes people very wary when they hear that potential solutions run on a foreign operating system like Windows or sometimes Linux. The main concerns focus around security and reliability.
Alphas and VAXes are known to run uninterrupted for years in a row, so their successor faces the same expectations. A foreign host operating system is a reliability risk since the virtual Alpha has no control over it. Changes made to the host operating system are outside the scope and influence of the virtual Alpha. Bug-fix or service pack updates of these host operating systems sometimes cause compatibility problems with the execution of the virtual Alpha, resulting in unscheduled down-time for the virtualized Alpha system(s).
vtAlpha addresses these concerns by running the Alpha virtualization native on a standard x86-type host.
Bare Metal Approach
vtAlpha can run directly on the x86 host. It includes an integrated operating system kernel that supports a broad range of peripheral devices, ensuring the vtAlpha solution supports and will continue to support most available x86 related peripherals.
It is an x86-based Alpha, a unique proposition.
vtAlpha also runs on virtual machines. Virtual machines are increasingly becoming the IT infrastructure of choice with our potential users, therefore our solution is designed to support that environment.
In fact vtAlpha has the broadest range of host system support available:
- It will run directly on the physical host hardware
- It will run on virtual machines
- It will run on top of other host operating systems, when required
The more layers, the more CPU performance vtAlpha has to share with these other layers. Bare Metal is the optimal option
Read more about the vtAlpha Bare Metal capability in the HP Technical Journal or on the website.