Communicator e3000 MPE/iX Release 7.0 (C.70.00) (30216-90312)

Chapter 2 15
Announcements
Introducing MPE/iX 7.0 Release
2 Announcements
Introducing MPE/iX 7.0 Release
Welcome to the newest MPE/iX Release -- 7.0! In this release, we introduce two new server
families: the HP e3000 N-Class and A-Class, based on our state of the art PA-RISC
hardware and available at hardware speeds unprecedented in the HP e3000 family.
Improved performance is expected across the board, but performance gains from this raw
horsepower will especially be seen in single-threaded batch applications.
The HP e3000 A-Class server with relative performance levels between 2.2 and 5.4
(estimated) are the new low-end of the HP e3000 peoduct line. The HP e3000 N-Class
servers with relative performance levels between 9 and 72 (estimated) are the new
mid-range and high-end of the HP e3000 product line.
This first release of N-Class and A-Class servers, in the first calendar half 2001, supports
uni-processor configurations, with up to 2 Gb of main memory. Also in June or July of
2001, a 7.0-based Express release will add N-Class and A-Class support of
multi-processors and large main memory configurations (up to 16 Gb for N-Class and up to
2Gb for A-Class), which will yield exemplary performance. Look for performance
benchmark statistics in the near future.
MPE/iX Release 7.0 also adds support for PCI I/O devices (on N-Class and A-Class
machines only). PCI I/O is robust, industry-standard, high-performing, and
state-of-the-art.
N-Class and A-Class servers, in both uni-processor and multi-processor configurations,
will be available for shipment in the first calendar half, 2001.
Our Next Platform ("Push") Release:
Normally, any MPE/iX release that ends with a ".0" number is a "platform" or "push"
release. In the past, this implied that the release is proactively shipped to all customers
with current support contracts.
However, customer feedback has indicated that nearly all customers wait for the first
Express or PowerPatch release after the "push" release before updating. So, in order to
save on customer & HP logistics, we've decided to "push" an early 7.0-based Express
release. This Express release will be proactively distributed to all customers
with current support contract sometime in mid-2001.
Customers purchasing new N-Class or A-Class systems before then will have to use
MPE/iX Release 7.0. Release 7.0 is also supported on 9x8, 9x9, and 99x systems, and these
systems will support the same capacity limits as they did on MPE/iX Release 6.5. In other
words, Release 7.0 supports multi-processor configurations and large memory
configurations on these current systems. Customer with these systems may order MPE/iX
Release 7.0, or they may choose to wait for the proactive distribution of the early 7.0-based
Express release.