Technical data

Table 3–1: OpenVMS VAX and OpenVMS Alpha Similarities and Differences
Component Similarities OpenVMS VAX Differences OpenVMS Alpha Differences
DIGITAL Command
Language (DCL)
Essentially the same on
both systems.
None Refer to the few exceptions in
the OpenVMS Compatibility
BetweenVAXandAlpha
guides available on line.
DCL Help
Most DCL help text is
common to both systems.
System-specific
information is identified by
thephrase“OnVAX.”
System-specific information
is identified by the phrase
“On Alpha.”
DCL command procedures
Most DCL command
procedures, with commands,
qualifiers, and lexical
functions, work on both
systems.
None A few command procedures
contain qualifiers not
available on OpenVMS
Alpha.
Databases
Standard databases, such
as Oracle Rdb, function the
same on both systems.
None Most third-party databases
available for OpenVMS
VAX are also available for
OpenVMS Alpha.
For more information,
refer to the OpenVMS
Compatibility Between VAX
and Alpha guide, available
on line.
3.1.2 System Management Environment
Most OpenVMS VAX system management utilities, command formats, and tasks
are identical on OpenVMS Alpha, with the following exceptions:
• On VAX, use of the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility is limited to the
installation of layered products, such as Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS.
• On Alpha, the POLYCENTER Software Installation utility is also used to
install both the OpenVMS operating system and layered products.
For more information about implementation differences between OpenVMS VAX
and OpenVMS Alpha, refer to the OpenVMS System Manager’s Manual.
3.1.3 Programming Environment
The same types of programming development tools that OpenVMS VAX
programmers use are available on OpenVMS Alpha systems, such as the Linker
3–2 OpenVMS Server and Network Configurations