In addition to taking the HP 3000 to IA-64 architecture, the other sweeping
prospect for
enhancing HP 3000s is to create a fully 64-bit version of MPE/iX. Such a
project would
mirror the enhancements which HP is making to HP-UX. It would even go
beyond the
current capabilities of Windows NT ‹ Microsoft's enterprise operating
system isn't a 64
bit choice today.
HP has decided not to create a 64-bit MPE/iX, at least not in the next two years. At the heart of its reservations about 64 bits is a concern that the HP 3000 community would become split between 32-bit users and 64-bit customers, and that applications and software wouldn't be compatible between the two kinds of HP 3000s. Such a division has never existed during the 25-year history of the 3000, HP said. It's a common schism in the world of HP-UX systems, however.
HP sees the need for file sizes greater than 4Gb as the most pressing part of 64-bit functionality. HP has announced it will support these file sizes without taking the entire operating system to a 64-bit version, but the work won't be complete this year. "We think this is a preferred solution," Greene said. Moving the entire operating system to 64-bits would lock out some customers from new functionality, HP reasons, "and that's inconsistent with our effort to make new functionality available to the broadest possible set of customers."
HP's argument that delivering a 64-bit MPE/iX will lock out some customers is in direct contrast to its plans for HP-UX, where a 64-bit release is scheduled for the 11.0 version of the operating system. But HP sees the ability to deliver 64-bit features in modular fashion as an advantage, one it hasn't offered to HP 9000 customers. "If we can deliver greater than 4Gb support without locking out the 32-bit people, that seems to us to be the better answer," Greene said.
Other advantages of 64-bit computing can always be included in later MPE/iX releases. "We'll be adding additional 64-bit functionality as our customers require it," said marketing manager Cathy Fitzgerald. The operating system is being tuned to help it work better with the 64-bit hardware in the PA-8000 line. "If you're tuning an operating system for a 64-bit hardware implementation, that can be considered part of a 64-bit implementation," Greene said. MPE/iX was designed for an earlier version of PA-RISC, and the tuning is expected to bring a significant enhancement to its performance.
HP's lack of full 64-bit support for MPE/iX keeps the 3000 at arm's length from the 64 bit APIs which HP announced in 1995. The APIs let a application vendor write code which can run on any other 64-bit systems that support the common APIs. No such applications have been offered since the announcement, however.
The 64-bit question has become one that each systems vendor must face, but its benefits still remain in the hands of application and database providers. A 64-bit address space is an immense area for programs to work within, though one that few need today.
HP has already extended the limits of RAM above 2Gb with its 5.5 release, and now a greater than 4Gb file size is on the boards for 1998 release. Commercial applications can make use of Very Large Memory features once this is in place. As Greene says, "64-bit ness for 64-bit-ness sake doesn't make any sense to our customers." HP is putting a higher priority on keeping the greatest number of its 3000 customers in one compatible operating environment.