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OpenVMS, aka VMS or Virtual Memory System, is the name of a high-end computer server OS that runs on the VAX and Alpha families of computers, developed by Digital Equipment Corporation. It is now owned by Hewlett-Packard, and can run on the Intel Itanium CPU. VMS is highly secure and excellent at clustered networking, which gives this OS a disaster-proof reputation that has lasted for over 30 years.
==Technical details==
OpenVMS – popularly shortened to VMS is a server, mainframe and (super)minicomputer OS that runs on the VAX, Alpha and Itanium architectures.  Originally released by DEC in 1977, VMS is notable for having among the best security, stability, clustering/networking and fault-tolerance features of any modern operating system. It maintains a small but dedicated userbase in the high-end server, scientific and hobbyist markets.  
==Character details==
OpenVMS-tan is depicted as a mature woman with long navy blue hair, usually tied in a ponytail, and two silver forelocks (bangs). She has blue-purple eyes and typically wears a half-face mask to protect her identity in public. Her typically attire is dark in colour and consists of a shirt, vest, pants, knee-high boots and a trenchcoat; she carries a variety of knives on her person, and wields a longsword/cleaver hybrid with sharks teeth caved into its blade.


VMS-tan has several drawn depictions; These are in fact the same character at different ages. The most common, however, is of OpenVMS-tan: mature woman with long dark blue hair, and two silver forelocks. She has deep blue eyes, and wears a dark outfit, usually consisting of leather boots, dark pants, a belt for carrying her assortment of knives and swords (a nod to VMS's almost paranoid security), a dark shirt, vest, and trench coat. She wears a mask when in the company of those she doesn't trust.
OpenVMS's demeanour is outwardly stoic and composed, although her few friends – and adoptive children – are treated to a warmer side. She is often mistaken for a socio- or psychopath, but her mind is perfectly sound and not lacking conscience; this misconception comes from her fascination with swordplay and merciless treatment of virii, hackers and other security threats. Possessing a strong sense of justice she feels no qualms about partaking in vigilantism – protecting herself and making the world a safer place for all OS-tans. Leaning toward the paranoid side, OpenVMS is a master survivalist and prefers to stay mobile at all times, traveling on her boat or submarine (the latter of which acts as the CIOST's headquarters). She loves being on the ocean and scuba-diving, especially with sharks – her favourite animal.  


She has uncanny skills with all matter of bladed weapons; While she carried a rapier style sword in her early days, she has since adopted a large cleaver with metal shark's teeth carved in it's edge, a reference to VMS's shark logo (and VMS-tan's fascination with these aquatic carnivores). This shark-like reference also applies to her attitude. She is ruthless in battle, not sparing a moment to defend herself against an attacker.
==History and background==
OpenVMS-tan debuted 1977, under the name VMS. Born to RSX-11 during the golden era of the DEC society, she was a reserved and responsible with a dry sense of humour –  and a habit of snarking. Trained extensively in swordfighting and the art of geomancy, she was inducted into the DEC military that year as a colonel. By 1988, she was a major general.  


VMS-tan's mindset fits her age well. She is of a rather serious, sometimes even paranoid personality, and is a master survivalist; Although she's been quiet all her life, in her youth her demeanor was somewhat more positive. This side still shows though from time to time. She used to live with her family (the DEC-tans), but financial woes and company buy-out have separated them. She is now an independent OS-tan, aligned with no canon group.
Her meteoric rise through the ranks ruffled the feathers of several of her coworkers and endangered the livelihoods of a few others, notably [[TOPS-20 | Tenex]]; outside of DEC, her popularity led to [[ITS | ITS]]'s eventual deposal from MIT. While she viewed these “betrayals” as strictly a matter of business and something not in her own control, her rivals weren't as understanding; although recently she has made good with her old coworkers.


Another interesting note is her relation with the prevailent Unixes. Although many VMS enthusiasts point out VMS's Unix-like features, it is not considered a Unix-like system and, in fact, many VMS supporters think their OS is better. VMS-tan is somewhat disdainful of Unix-tans, although she considers herself to have some of their better traits (and often jokes of being a step-cousin of sorts)
Her name was changed to OpenVMS is 1992, but she continued to use her old moniker out of convenience. The first major trauma in her life occurred in 1993 when [[NT-tan | Windows NT]] was born and VMS subsequently discovered that she was, in part, a genetic copy of herself. The cloning was purported by VMS' creator who, after leaving DEC, was hired by the rising Microsoft empire to create their next generation of OS-tan – one capable of seizing the then-elusive server and minicomputer market. Taking advantage of the disarray of the Unix and OS Wars, NT was able to conquer already divided nations and secure the Windows empire in the professional market.


Outside of canon, some speculate that VMS-tan is the biological mother of NT-tan, citing VMS's heavy influence on NT's architecture. It is also conjectured that NT-tan knows nothing of this relation. Younger VMS-tan is often depicted as sharing a resemblance to NT-tan, both physically and mentally. To this day VMS-tan is known to have a motherly, caring side to her usually stoic attitude; although this side is rarely seen.
One of NT's targets was the already-weakened DEC empire; she faced off against VMS in a dual, completely unaware that her opponent was her mother. VMS, holding back for fear of injuring her daughter, was defeated; this experience made her rethink her life and pushed her toward her current-day mentality.  


See also:
In 1998 the tattered DEC society was conquered by HP, and its -tans scattered to all corners of the earth. VMS, too powerful to be let go of, was kept on; she was one of only two ex-DEC officers not deposed of. Feeling no allegiance to her new company VMS set to wandering the world, gathering disparate OS-tans of all cultures and races together to fight the mainstream powers. This was the beginning of the [[CIOST | Confederation of independent OS-tans]], an underground group of technologically-advanced, but largely unknown OS-tans.
*[[List of OS-tans]]


[[Category:Others]]
VMS's mother is [[RSX | RSX]], has one sister, [[VAXELN | VAXELN]], and two adopted children – [[OZONE | OZONE]] and [[FreeVMS | FreeVMS]]. She occasionally meets with her old DEC comrades, but lives on her own for the most part.
 
==Theories and notes==

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