In an age where technologies are changing so quickly, even the best solutions need to keep up with the times. The same can be said about Stromasys’ new version of their PA-RISC hardware emulator. Yes, we are talking about the all-new Charon-PAR 4.0.

One of the key highlights of this upgrade is performance enhancement. And if your business relies critical HP-UX or MPE/iX applications, this update is worth your attention.

Let’s break down what’s new and why it matters to your infrastructure.


Enhanced Performance with DIT2 Architecture
The key feature here is architecture. Specifically, the introduction of DIT2 (Dynamic Instruction Translation, tier 2).

Previous versions used a single translation layer. Version 4.0 adds a second one.
Why does this matter?

DIT2 delivers performance gains for specific guest application workloads by handling instructions more efficiently.

Admins now have three ways to set this up:

● Local Configuration: Run DIT2 on the same systems as the emulator. Simple.
● Dedicated Server: Offload DIT2 to a separate system. This is interesting because one dedicated server can handle multiple Charon-PAR instances. It’s a smart move for distributed processing.
● Flexible Tuning: Multiple tunable parameters to optimize performance for specific workloads.


Simplified Licensing Model
Simplified Licensing Model
Version 4.0 introduces a streamlined licensing approach designed to make deployment and management easier.

However, licenses from previous Charon-PAR 3.x versions are incompatible and must be updated to work with version 4.0 and later.


Improved Network Reliability
In version 4.0, improvements have been made to the emulated Intel E1000 Ethernet controller. These are:

● Independent operation from checksum offloading settings in HP-UX
● Improved stability and reliability across all PCI expansion slots
● Better compatibility with various network configurations


Precision Tools for Host System Sizing
Sizing a host server for emulation is often more art than science. You guess the CPU needs, pad the RAM, and hope for the best.

Stromasys added a script called charon-par-sizer.py to fix this.

It’s a sizing tool that analyzes your actual requirements. It looks at:
● Required RAM for the emulated system.
● CPU count.
● The impact of DIT1-only versus DIT2 deployment options.

It gives you concrete recommendations. You stop guessing and start provisioning based on data. Of course, for really complex environments, a deep-dive analysis by a human expert is still the best route. But this tool gets you 90% of the way there.


Licensing Updates and Configuration Management
Nobody loves managing licenses. But you need to know this: Charon-PAR 4.0 changes the licensing model.
It’s streamlined now, which makes deployment easier. However, licenses from version 3.x are incompatible. If you upgrade, you must update your license. No exceptions.
On the configuration side, things got tidier. All config file templates are now standardized. Options and descriptions are consistent across all supported models.
Backward compatibility is still there. Your old config files will work. But the new templates make administration less of a headache for new setups.


What’s Supported?
Before you plan an upgrade, check your compatibility.
Emulated Models:
● rp34xx series
● rp44xx series
● B132L workstations
● 720 servers

Guest Operating Systems:
● HP-UX (9.0.5 through 11.31, depending on the hardware model)
● MPE/iX

Host Operating Systems:
● Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, 9, and 10
● Rocky Linux 8, 9, and 10


Evaluating the Right Moment to Upgrade
The updates in Charon-PAR 4.0 offer tangible benefits for performance and administration. The DIT2 architecture and improved network stability can address common bottlenecks in legacy environments. If you are running mission-critical workloads on PA-RISC systems, evaluating this version is a logical step.


About Stromasys
Stromasys offers a legacy server emulation solution for VAX, Alpha, SunSPARC, PDP-11, HP 3000, and HP 9000 servers. With our Charon software, customers can seamlessly transition from aging hardware to modern industry-standard platforms (x86) or the Cloud while preserving their original operating systems (OpenVMS, Tru64, Solaris, MPE, HP-UX), layered software, and applications without modification.

Since our inception in 1998, we have successfully completed over thousands of installations for industry-leading companies around the globe.

Our solutions help a wide array of industries such as nuclear power, telecommunications, finance, rail networks, government, industrial automation, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, aerospace, retail, logistics, education, and technology. We ensure that legacy applications continue running smoothly on modern hardware, minimizing risk and ensuring uninterrupted business continuity.

For more information, visit https://www.stromasys.com