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VAX 7000 model 800 emulates model 600?

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The Question is:

 
We realize that there are certain limitations to running a VAX 7000 Model 800
 processor with VAX-VMS 5.5-2(i.e., VMS will see the processor as a Model 600,
 and all the limitations to a 600 apply), but will the board perform like a
 Model 600 or will it sti
ll have the processing power/speed of an 800?

The Answer is :

 
  Unlike OpenVMS Alpha, OpenVMS VAX is built with the name of each supported
  system.  VAX processors that can bootstrap on earlier versions of OpenVMS
  VAX do so by emulating the appearance of an earlier VAX platform supported
  by the target release -- if/when support is added for the particular VAX
  platform, OpenVMS VAX generally then differentiates the system name based
  on a console setting or based on a (deliberately) subtle difference in the
  system-reported system identification information.
 
  The limitations imposed by the system recognition capabilities of OpenVMS
  VAX do not affect the processing speed of the CPU -- the processor speed
  is fixed by the system hardware clock, and is not affected by the name
  that OpenVMS assigns the platform.
 
  In other words, your VAX 7000 model 800 will emulate a VAX 7000 model 600
  (as designed) and will be reported as a VAX 7000 model 600 (as expected)
  in this particular OpenVMS VAX environment, but this VAX 7000 model 800
  system will perform as expected for a VAX 7000 model 800 series system.
 

  
     
     answer written or last revised on ( 27-NOV-2000 )
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