Oracle Rdb Will Not Be Ported to x86-64 - Your Path Forward Before 2027

Extended support for Oracle Rdb on Itanium ends at the close of 2027. Rdb will not be ported to x86-64. Here is what that means for your OpenVMS application — and what to do about it.

The Situation

Oracle Rdb will not be ported to x86-64. Extended support on Itanium concludes at the end of 2027.

This database has had a remarkable run, from early computing platforms through VAX, Alpha, and Itanium. But the road ends here. For organisations that have relied on Rdb for years, that deadline creates a concrete problem that needs a concrete answer.

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Your Path Forward: Preserve the Application, Remove the Rdb Dependency

The goal is straightforward: keep the valuable applications running on OpenVMS. Itanium hardware has become obsolete, but x86-64 offers a strong way forward, once the database dependency is resolved.

More than a decade ago, Sector7 pioneered a tool-based approach to migrating from Rdb to modern databases — Oracle or PostgreSQL — while keeping the application on OpenVMS. Two practical paths exist for your application:

Migrate from Rdb to Oracle or PostgreSQL, and continue running your application on OpenVMS.
Migrate from Rdb to Oracle or PostgreSQL, and transition the application to Linux on x86-64.

In either case, migrating away from Rdb is the essential first step.

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A Proven Approach: Automated Migration, Zero Disruption

Sector7 has developed a robust set of tools for Rdb migration, built on the same proven philosophy as our application migration tools to Linux:

Fully tool-based, with no manual intervention required. We refine the tools — not your application code.
Zero downtime and no code freeze. Your systems stay live throughout.
Near 100% automated code remediation. Anything less simply is not viable for production environments.

These are not aspirational claims. They are the standard we have held ourselves to across every Rdb migration engagement.

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Meet Us at the VSI OpenVMS Bootcamp, Malmö // May 4–6, 2026

Denys Beauchemin and Jon Power will be attending the VSI 2026 Bootcamp in Malmö, presenting on Rdb migration strategies.

Sector7 will also host a relaxed evening at the bar on Monday, May 4 for anyone who would like to discuss the end-of-support situation and explore practical options for safeguarding and modernising their applications. No agenda, no sales pitch — just an open conversation with engineers who have been doing this since before Rdb ran on Alpha.

If you are attending the Bootcamp, we look forward to seeing you there.

Link to the event

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Start the Conversation Now

The 2027 deadline is closer than it looks. The earlier the migration is scoped and planned, the more options you have — and the lower the risk.