Preserving the Digital Legacy
Keeping the Legacy Alive
HB1VAX is more than just an AlphaServer DS10 running OpenVMS. It represents decades of technological evolution, professional experience, and a personal passion for the legacy of Digital Equipment Corporation.
My journey with VAX and VMS started in the late 1980s and has continued uninterrupted ever since. In 1989, we commissioned our first MicroVAX 3600, a system that introduced us to the stability and elegance of VMS. A few years later, in 1992, we expanded with three MicroVAX 3100 systems. Together, these machines formed the heart of our operations and supported daily operational execution on the shop floor. These VAX systems quickly proved themselves to be reliable workhorses, running for years with minimal downtime — a hallmark of the Digital Equipment era.
From VAX to Alpha
After years of dependable service, we transitioned from VAX to Alpha. Around the year 2000, we replaced the earlier systems with a modern AlphaServer cluster, built on two AlphaServer DS20 machines. This cluster represented a major technological leap: Higher performance, Better scalability, True 24/7 reliability and Seamless clustering and failover or 17 years, this Alpha cluster ran continuously — day and night, year after year. It supported our MES and WMS applications until the very last moment. In 2017, we finally migrated the remaining applications to a new generation of systems. On March 24th, 2017, after nearly two decades of uninterrupted operation, I shut down the cluster. For me, this moment marked the end of an era, closing a chapter that had played a defining role in my career from 1992 to 2017.
Growing Collection
In addition to HB1VAX, I maintain a personal collection of historical Digital Equipment systems and terminals. These machines played an important role in computing history, and preserving them is both an interest and a tribute to the past.
My collection includes: VAX 3600, VAX 3100, VAX‑I and VAX‑II, VXT2000, VXT420, VXT520 terminals, AlphaServer DS10
Each of these systems has its own story, architecture and unique charm — and together they form a living museum of the DEC era.
Keeping the Classics Alive
In addition to the physical systems I maintain, emulation technologies play an important role in preserving Digital’s legacy.
Two platforms in particular help bring historic VAX and PDP systems back to life:
SIMH – Historical Machine Emulator
SIMH is an open‑source emulator capable of running many DEC architectures, including: PDP‑11, PDP‑10, VAX, Early Alpha prototypes. With SIMH, enthusiasts can run original operating systems such as VMS, RSX‑11M, RSTS/E, or ULTRIX on modern hardware. It’s an extraordinary way to study, restore and recreate computer history — without needing a room full of physical hardware.
VirtualBox – A Bridge for Modern Testing
Although VirtualBox cannot emulate real VAX or Alpha hardware, it is invaluable for: Running hobbyist distributions, Building network environments, Testing OpenVMS x86 (the newer Intel/AMD port) Experimenting with layered products and DECnet in virtual networks. The combination of physical systems, SIMH emulation and newer virtual platforms allows me to explore both the historical and modern sides of VMS.
Even though the production systems were phased out, my interest in the classic Digital platforms never disappeared. To keep that history alive, I continue to operate an AlphaServer DS10, now known as HB1VAX. This server runs OpenVMS and offers a small but lively ecosystem of services. One of the main features is a self‑built BBS (Bulletin Board System), fully written in DCL – Digital Command Language. It represents the spirit of creativity and precision that made OpenVMS so powerful, even decades after its introduction.
Accessing HB1VAX
The system HB1VAX can be reached through Packetradio nodes
PD1HBL-8 / PD1HBL-9 — simply type VAX at the prompt.
The BBS provides; A personal mailbox, A small download area and Experimental utilities and tools. A nostalgic glimpse into the world of vintage computing. The BBS software is still evolving. I’m continually experimenting with DCL to expand its functionality and create something both fun and useful. It’s not just a technical hobby — it’s a way to explore the full potential of a system I’ve worked with for most of my professional life.
Why This Matters
HB1VAX is not just a nostalgic project. It stands for something larger: the enduring craftsmanship of Digital Equipment and the timeless design of OpenVMS. These systems were built to last, to be understood, and to be enjoyed by those who appreciate robustness and engineering excellence. By keeping HB1VAX online, experimenting with DCL, and preserving old hardware, I hope to honor the legacy of a generation of systems that shaped the world of computing — and my own career — in profound ways.
The Digital Equipment era may have ended in the commercial world, but its spirit lives on through enthusiasts, collectors, and long‑running systems like HB1VAX. As long as this AlphaServer DS10 continues to run, so does the legacy of VAX, Alpha and OpenVMS — powerful, elegant, and surprisingly timeless.
What is OpenVMS?
OpenVMS is a multi-user, multiprocessing virtual memory-based operating system (OS) designed for use in time-sharing, batch processing, and transaction processing. It was first released by Digital Equipment Corporation in 1977 as VAX/VMS for its series of VAX minicomputers. OpenVMS also runs on DEC Alpha systems and the HP Itanium-based families of computers. OpenVMS is a proprietary operating system, but source code listings are available for purchase. The name VMS is derived from virtual memory system, for one of its principal architectural features. When process priorities are suitably adjusted, it may approach real-time operating system characteristics. The system offers high availability through clustering and the ability to distribute the system over multiple physical machines. This allows the system to be tolerant against disasters that may disable individual data-processing facilities. OpenVMS contains a graphical user interface (GUI), a feature that was not available in earlier original VAX/VMS releases. Prior to the introduction of DEC VAXstation systems in the 1980s, the operating system was used and managed from text-based terminals, such as the VT100, which provide serial data communications and screen-oriented display features. Versions of VMS running on DEC Alpha workstations in the 1990s supported OpenGL[8] and Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) graphics adapters. Enterprise-class environments typically select and use OpenVMS for various purposes including mail servers, network services, manufacturing or transportation control and monitoring, critical applications and databases, and particularly environments where system uptime and data access is critical. System up-times of more than 10 years have been reported, and features such as rolling upgrades and clustering allow clustered applications and data to remain continuously accessible while operating system software and hardware maintenance and upgrades are performed, or when a whole data center is destroyed. Customers using OpenVMS include banks and financial services, hospitals and healthcare, network information services, and large-scale industrial manufacturers of various products.
