HP OpenVMS Systems

OpenVMS and Windows XP?

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The Question is:

 
Is Windows XP supported under any version of OpenVMS?
 
 
 
 

The Answer is :

 
  If this is a question of support plans for Windows XP as a client in
  the Advanced Server (PATHWORKS) environment, then that qualification
  work is presently underway -- realize that (as if this writing in
  July 2001), Microsoft Windows XP has not been released by Microsoft
  for general availability.  Windows 2000 client support was included
  in the Advanced Server V7.3 environment.
 
  If, however, the rather tersely-worded question is interpreted literally
  (and is further assumed to not be a "troll"), then the short answer is
  either "huh?" or "no!".
 
  And if again interpreted literally, the long answer is...
 
  Compaq OpenVMS is an operating system, and it expects Alpha or VAX
  hardware architecture.  At present, there are no plans to port OpenVMS
  to any other hardware architectures.
 
  Microsoft offers at least three operating system families, and all
  rather confusingly named Windows.  The classic version of Microsoft
  Windows and its descendents (95, 98, ME) uses an operating system
  kernel that is descended from the original IBM PC operating system.
 
  The second variant, Microsoft Windows CE, is intended for embedded
  environments, handhelds, and similar, and it provides compatibility
  with other Microsoft Windows platforms.
 
  The third variant, Windows NT (and its descendents Windows 2000 and
  Windows XP) all use an operating system kernel that is quite different
  from the classic Windows kernel and from that of CE, though the NT
  kernel does have various similarities to the OpenVMS kernel.
 
  The Microsoft Windows operating systems (other than CE) all expect to
  run on Intel IA-32 or compatible hardware -- while early versions of
  the Microsoft Windows NT kernel were ported to other platforms, updates
  to these ports are no longer made available.  The classic variants of
  the Windows operating systems were never ported to other platforms.
 
  That said, there exists one or more VAX hardware emulator packages.
  At least one is intended as a commercial product, and is available
  from a third-party.  This third-party hardware emulator can operate
  on the Intel IA-32 and compatible processors, and on Alpha architecture
  platforms, and thus provides a VAX environment that can potentially
  bootstrap most any operating systems with VAX support.
 
  Also, there was once versions of an Intel IA-32 emulator for OpenVMS
  systems, packages known as SoftPC and SoftWindows.  These packages
  emulated the Intel IA-32 architecture sufficiently to permit Microsoft
  Windows operating systems to bootstrap and run on OpenVMS.  These
  packages are no longer available, and no longer being enhanced.
  (Various of these packages emulated the 80286-class processor, and
  features of later Intel IA-32 processors were not implemented.)
 
 
  Thus the synopsis of the long answer is:
 
  "Not directly.  What problem are you looking to solve?"
 
 
 

  

     

     
answer written or last revised on ( 16-JUL-2001 )
     
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