68K Operating System Strategy - Presentation The "68K Operating System Strategy - Domain and HP-UX" slide set provides information regarding HP's commitment to support Domain and HP-UX (Motorola 68000-based) customers through the year 2000. For Worldwide field and customer use. Slide 1: 68K Operating System Strategy - Domain and HP-UX - ------------------------------------------------------------ Since HP's announcement that HP-UX on HP Series 700, PA-RISC is our strategic workstation direction, the Open Migration Program was created to help "migrate" 68K Domain and HP-UX customers forward to HP-UX on Series 700s. THIS presentation is intended to address the concerns of those Domain and HP-UX (68K) users that will continue using their current systems for several years. HP is committed to provide support of Domain and HP-UX (68K) at least through the year 2000 (ie. "Today, Tomorrow, 2000 with 68K Domain and HP-UX"). Domain 10.4 and HP-UX 9.0 are NOT the last releases of Domain/OS and HP-UX (68K). Customers that maintain software support contracts will help to define the type of engineering that will go into the products. The funding from software support contracts allow SWT to invest in continued support of Domain and HP-UX (68K). Slide 2: Extended Support for HP Software ------------------------------------------ Software basically goes through three stages of life; 1) New (lots of technology is being designed into the product, and the installed base is growing), 2) Active (the product satisfies most users needs, the installed base stays at a constant level), and 3) Extended (new technology is not planned for the product, a stable environment is more important to most users, portions of the installed base will move forward to newer technologies). SWT's focus is on providing support for software products that are in their "extended" life. Transitioning the product at the proper point is important. From that point on, users can expect product "fixes and focused enhancements" as well as help in providing a "bridge" to their new environment (in this case, Motorola 68000-based Domain or HP-UX to HP-UX on PA-RISC). Slide 3: 68K Operating System Strategy --------------------------------------- HP recognizes that a significant portion of the workstation installed base will continue to use their 68K systems for quite some time. Those users will expect to interoperate those systems with the newer Series 700 PA-RISC systems they buy. HP is committed to provide the "bridges" and focused enhancements to allow those systems to interoperate. Depending on the number of users that maintain active 68K software support contracts, this support may go beyond the year 2000. Slide 4: Domain & HP-UX Customer Options (DN Series, Series 300/400) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Today, Domain and HP-UX (68K) customers have three options: 1) Maintain their current environment, 2) Mix PA-RISC/HP-UX with their existing environment (interoperate), or 3) Migrate their whole environment to PA-RISC/HP-UX. Slide 5: Support from Hewlett-Packard -------------------------------------- Once again, using the same three categories that identify Domain and HP-UX (68K) customers, we can now address how HP is prepared to address the specific needs of each of the groups. What's important here is that HP is committed to the installed base and has programs in each of the categories to ensure the customers are successful with their current & evolving environments. This presentation will mainly address how the Software Technology Division (SWT) will support those users that; a) plan to maintain their current Domain or HP-UX (68K) environment for the next several years, or b) plan to operate within a mixed environment (interoperate). Workstation Systems Group (WSG) created the Open Migration Program to provide assistance for those users that choose to, c) migrate forward to the HP Series 700 product family. Slide 6: Customer Requests --------------------------- SWT will gather requests from the Domain and HP-UX (68K) installed base in several ways; customer surveys ,interaction with HP workstation users groups (InterWorks, HP/Works, and InterWorks/Japan), customer visits, software problem reports, and feedback from WSG's Open Migration Program. SWT has defined processes to take input from all the sources on each individual sub-product and determine our course of action and priorities. Slide 7: HP's Commitment to Your Needs ... What we've heard from you --------------------------------------------------------------------- Customers have told us that their greatest need in software that has reached the "extended" stage, is stability. If enhancements are added to the product, they should be features that aid in interoperability or migration tools to future environments. Maintaining knowledgeable assistance about the products as well as compatible releases are also often requested needs. Slide 8: 68K OS Support Spectrum - DN Series, Series 300/400 ------------------------------------------------------------- The level of support that customers will receive is best described using a spectrum. Domain SR10.4 and HP-UX 9.0 will be the base for future releases, and currently those versions will receive the greatest level of support such as enhancements, fixes, patches, releases... As you go back in releases, the support will decrease. For example Domain SR10.3.x or HP-UX 8.x will receive critical defect fixes, workarounds, and patches. With Domain SR9.7 or HP-UX 7.x, HP will provide "Best-effort" support where the focus is in troubleshooting and providing possible workarounds. Slide 9: Recommendations ------------------------ Domain SR10.4 and HP-UX 9.0 are recommended releases. For both operating systems, future enhancements will be based from those versions. The Domain SR10.4 and HP-UX 9.0 operating systems provide the best support of industry standards and best set of interoperability tools. Because Domain SR10.4 and HP-UX 9.0 are the basis for future releases, we only recommend that customers remain on Domain SR10.3.x or HP-UX 8.x when; 1) their hardware will not support the newer release, 2) their required software vendors will not certify SR10.4 or 9.0 and 3) migration to HP-UX PA-RISC is imminent, within 6-9 months... Slide 10: What's Next? ----------------------- For Domain, SWT will 1) provide a SR10.3.5 Patch Roll-up release during the summer of 1993, 2) release SR10.4.1 in July 1993 (an update that includes X11R5, Motif 1.2, and hp term 1.3 support), and 3) continue to define and deliver a "SR 10.next" release in early 1994 For HP-UX, SWT will 1) determine the user needs for a "HP-UX 9.next" release and 2) announce the plan for that release in October/November 1993. Slide 11: Today, Tomorrow, 2000... with 68K Domain & HP-UX ----------------------------------------------------------- In closing... We want to reinforce that HP is committed to provide support to Domain and HP-UX (68K) Operating Systems at least through the year 2000. Once again, we want to stress the importance of customer input in determining the type of engineering SWT will provide to Domain and HP-UX (68K). Their input drives our programs. In order to receive the benefits of the program, all customers need to maintain an active support contract.