hi could any one tell me how to find the version information for cobol, decforms and also the HW series information... any help would be of great help thanks vinoth.

Vinoth, I do not use either product, but I know that DEC compilers usually write their version number into the program listing, so try compiling a COBOL program and scanning the listing for it. Interactive products (I guess that DECForms is interactive) often have a SHOW VERSION command or something similar; try HELP. You can find current version information on HP's OpenVMS site (www.hp.com/go/openvms). Look for the acronym"SPD", which stands for "Software Product Description". I can't help much with the Alpha version number - but doesn't the SRM console firmware announce it's type and version on power-up?