digital Computer Lab

The VAX 8600, introduced in 1984 under the codename "Venus," was Digital Equipment Corporation's first ECL-based (Emitter-Coupled Logic) VAX processor. ECL gate arrays allowed the 8600 to achieve clock cycles of just 5 nanoseconds, making it roughly six times faster than the original VAX-11/780 that launched the VAX line in 1977. With a price tag around $250,000, the 8600 targeted the high-end scientific and commercial workload market.

The 8600 introduced the SBI+ bus, an evolution of the original VAX SBI that increased I/O throughput to support the faster processor. It could address up to 512 MB of physical memory and supported VAX clustering via CI (Computer Interconnect), allowing multiple VAX systems to share disk storage and balance workloads across nodes. This made the 8600 a workhorse for large timesharing environments and database servers throughout the mid-1980s.

OpenVMS (originally called VMS) was the flagship operating system for the VAX architecture, known for its stability, security, and clustering capabilities. VMS V7.3 represents one of the last major releases for the VAX platform before DEC shifted focus to the Alpha architecture. It remains fully functional for networking, development, and DECnet connectivity decades after its release.

To reach CURLY from another HECnet node, use: SET HOST 31.132 from any DECnet-connected system. You can reach it through LARRY (31.130) which is connected to HECnet.