Virtual Address Extension

What Does Virtual Address Extension Mean?

A Virtual Address Extension (VAX) was a midrange server computer developed in the late 1970s by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). The VAX was introduced as mainframe computers were being developed. The VAX computer had a 32-bit processor and a virtual memory setup.

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Techopedia Explains Virtual Address Extension

Industry reports show that many thousands of VAX systems are still in use with an operating system called OpenVMS. These systems can be compatible with Windows NT servers and can use various programming interfaces.

As a successor to the Digital PDP-11 unit, the original VAX was prized for its reliability, power and user-friendly design, and could be used with a variety of languages including FORTRAN, BASIC and PASCAL. Today’s VAX has changed to accommodate the highly progressive nature of modern hardware.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…