How to Create OpenVMS Disk image?

Brief background: I am a chemist by profession and have an instrument whose operating program runs under OpenVMS on a DEC Alphastation 255. I would like to try to get freeAXP up and running on this equipment for added reliability. I have limited OpenVMS experience since I typically only interface with the instrument software. My current problem is how to create an image of the OpenVMS boot disk on the real system so that I can put it on the emulator platform. The Alphastation is on our university network if that is any help. Could someone please reply with some guidelines or instructions in this matter?

Thanks!

Bill

Three steps:

1) Create an image backup of the AlphaStation using BACKUP/IMAGE.

2) Install OpenVMS under FreeAXP in order to create a target system to which you can copy the backup image. The copy can be done using DECnet copy or FTP.

3) Restore the backup image on the FreeAXP system.

Migration Specialties provides fee based porting services for institutions that no longer have VMS resources.

Thanks for the Reply Bruce,

I am somewhat familiar with the BACKUP/IMAGE command and have used it to create a backup boot disk for our system. I am not quite sure how to move that image using FTP over to the emulator. Is this done by using the BACKUP command over FTP?

I understand Migration Specialties provides this service but we are an educational institution with limited funding for such things. Any further details that could be provided would be appreciated.

Bill

FreeAXP is essentially a brand new Alpha system with no O/S installed. Treat it like new Alpha hardware. You need to build a VMS instance from CD on the emulator, then transfer the image from your legacy Alpha system.

Success. I was able to boot into a standalone instance of Gentoo linux and use SSH and the dd command to copy the vms system disk to a Mac mini platform; from there just copied the image over to the FreeAXP host PC and it booted perfectly.

Most everything seems to be working except my DECnet connection to our instrument. I will try to post more details in a separate thread.

Bill

The NIC type likely changed when you moved to FreeAXP. Shut down TCP/IP services and rerun the DECnet installation procedure (NETCONFIG.COM). Reboot to confirm the settings take.