ArticlesThe VAX 9000 is a remarkable yet discontinued mainframe computer. It was once the pinnacle of the VAX family. Developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), its journey was cut short. This leaves many curious about the reasons behind its early demise.
Understanding VAX 9000’s legacy and impact require knowing the factors that led to its discontinuation. The story goes beyond technical specifications. There are factors like market forces, financial challenges, and relentless progress.
This article will explore the VAX 9000’s history, specifications, and the reasons behind its discontinuation. We will also look at its legacy and what the future looks like.
The VAX 9000 series was the first line of mainframe computers developed by DEC. These machines went beyond typical minicomputers. Because with VAX-9000, DEC targeted the supercomputer domain with optional vector processors. In fact, within DEC the 9000 was perceived as “IBM killer”.
Although initially launched with a single-processor configuration, they were later made compatible with three additional processors within the first year of their launch. The custom ECL-based processors implement the VAX instruction set architecture (ISA).
The internal bus connecting the processors and memory is anticipated to be about 10 times quicker than the one in the VAX 6000 series. The basic setup of the VAX 9000 comes with two RA91 2GB, 9-inch disk drives. These RA91 drives, initially introduced with the VAX 9000, will only be available with this system for now.
The roots of the VAX 9000 date back to DEC’s strategic move in 1984, when it got several licenses of technologies from Trilogy Systems. This partnership introduced a new method for densely packing ECL chips into complex modules and laid the groundwork for the 9000’s development. By 1986, DEC began designing the 9000 series as a successor to their top-tier VAX 8800 family.
Initially planned with two models—the high-performance Aquarius and midrange Aridus—DEC engineers encountered significant advances in air cooling technology during development. These improvements made the Aquarius model redundant. Consequently, DEC focused on enhancing the Aridus line, which could be field-upgraded to match Aquarius capabilities.
As discussed already, DEC positioned the VAX 9000 computer as a strong competitor in the mainframe market, aiming for superior performance at a lower cost compared to IBM systems.
Despite internal concerns amid rapid RISC technology advancements, the company invested around $1 billion in the 9000’s development. However, production challenges delayed the release of the VAX 9000. Consequently, newer microprocessors like DEC’s NVAX offered similar performance at a fraction of the cost. Only a limited number of systems were delivered before DEC halted production—a significant setback for their mainframe ambitions.
Here are the detailed technical specifications that define the capabilities of the VAX 9000 system:
The VAX 9000 system utilized custom ECL-based processors that implemented the VAX instruction set architecture (ISA). It supported configurations ranging from 1 to 4 CPUs, each clocked at 62.5 MHz with a cycle time of 16 ns.
Each CPU comprised 13 Multi-Chip Units (MCUs) featuring ECL macrocell arrays. It included 128 KB of primary cache and an 8 KB instruction cache per CPU. Additionally, it offered an optional vector processor capable of achieving a theoretical peak performance of 125 MFLOPS.
The system supported a maximum of 512 MB of main memory. It employed a crossbar switch within the System Control Unit (SCU) to interconnect CPUs, memory controllers, and I/O controllers. I/O capabilities were facilitated through four Extended Memory Interconnect (XMI) buses and supported multiple RA91 2GB disk drives.
The VAX 9000 was compatible with the VMS (VAX/VMS) and Ultrix (Digital’s version of Unix) operating systems.
It supported a wide array of VAX/VMS applications and development tools, along with scientific and engineering applications leveraging its vector processing capabilities. The system was also adept at handling database and transaction processing workloads.
Despite its multiprocessing capabilities, extensive memory capacity, and optional vector processing, VAX-9000 faced limited commercial success.
But what causes the high-end DEC 9000 computer to reach its end-of-life status? Let’s figure it out:
During the late 90s and early 80s, the computing landscape began to shift. Businesses and tech enthusiasts were moving toward more affordable hardware options. This shift reduced the need for high-end systems like the VAX 9000. Although the DEC VAX 9000 was designed to compete with IBM’s high-end systems, it struggled to match the pace of emerging trends.
The primary factor was the excessive cost of development and production. DEC had invested nearly one billion to develop the VAX 9000, with the standard model price not being less than $920,000. Most potential clients were deterred by that high value.
Competition has also played a crucial role in DEC 9000’s downfall. With the increasing demand for RISC-based workstations, VAX 9000’s market had started to decline. The growing competition has also aggravated this problem.
DEC’s move to enter the high-end market with the VAX 9000 was a response to declining sales in their minicomputer line. But the reality was different. This strategy did not match well with the broader industry changes and resulted in poor market acceptance.
Now that you have understood VAX 9000 computers, how they work, and their features – let’s get deep into the legacy of VAX computers.
Basically, there are two aspects to consider: the operating system (OpenVMS) and the hardware (VAX) which is the main source of the problem.
The heyday of VAX computers has passed. Due to the proprietary nature of the hardware, DEC has discontinued production, making it difficult to find replacement parts and skilled resources. Additionally, the machines are large, consume a lot of power, and generate significant heat. On top of everything – the chances of hardware failure causing downtime are quite high.
1. What generation is the VAX 9000 representative system in?
The VAX 9000 was the representative of the third generation of VAX computing systems.
2. Why Was the VAX 9000 discontinued?
The VAX 9000 was discontinued due to its unsatisfactory market performance, competition, higher production cost, and a wrong market capturing tactic.
3. When was VAX 9000 launched?
The VAX 9000 was launched in 1989.
4. Can I Modernize VAX 9000 computers?
Yes, it’s technically possible to modernize VAX 9000 systems with modernization solutions like hardware emulation. A lift and shift approach will replace the aging hardware with an on-prem or cloud infrastructure so that you can run your legacy applications more reliably and efficiently.
5. Where was VAX 9000 used?
The VAX 9000 was primarily used in high-performance computing environments like research institutions and government facilities.
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