The Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) Virtual Memory System (VMS operating system, and the VAX and Alpha computers on which it ran, stand as some of the finest engineering in computer history. Using the power and flexibility of VMS, it was possible to construct massive computer systems with near bullet-proof reliability and availability.
In the 1980 and 1990, DEC was so advanced in their networking, disc storage and computer clustering capabilities, that only now, more than a decade after their demise, are their technologies being "re-invented". There's not telling what might have come from this engineering powerhouse had they not been swallowed by Compaq, and later HP.
Mastering VMS encompasses a lot of what I learned about VMS in daily use from 1983 through 1992 as a young Cryptology Technician in the U.S. Navy. At that time, I was the ONLY enlisted technician on the start-up project, and was charged with managing more than 40 VAX computers and a vast array of storage in a tightly secured environment. When you have that many computer systems to manage, and top grass wanting results, you discover ever trick possible.
The book is a result of what I learned. Written in a matter of weeks, Mastering VMS stands today as one of my best memories and proud achievements.
In the 1980 and 1990, DEC was so advanced in their networking, disc storage and computer clustering capabilities, that only now, more than a decade after their demise, are their technologies being "re-invented". There's not telling what might have come from this engineering powerhouse had they not been swallowed by Compaq, and later HP.
Mastering VMS encompasses a lot of what I learned about VMS in daily use from 1983 through 1992 as a young Cryptology Technician in the U.S. Navy. At that time, I was the ONLY enlisted technician on the start-up project, and was charged with managing more than 40 VAX computers and a vast array of storage in a tightly secured environment. When you have that many computer systems to manage, and top grass wanting results, you discover ever trick possible.
The book is a result of what I learned. Written in a matter of weeks, Mastering VMS stands today as one of my best memories and proud achievements.
