Installation and Upgrade Guide

5.3 Mixed-Version Support in an OpenVMS Cluster Environment
HP provides two levels of support for mixed-version and mixed-architecture OpenVMS Cluster
systems: warranted support and migration support.
Warranted support means that HP has fully qualified two specified versions coexisting in an
OpenVMS Cluster and will address all problems identified by customers using these
configurations.
Migration support means that HP has qualified the versions for use together in configurations
that are migrating in a staged fashion to a newer version of OpenVMS. Problem reports submitted
against these configurations will be answered by HP. However, in exceptional cases, HP may
request that you move to a warranted configuration as part of the solution. Migration support
helps customers move to warranted OpenVMS Cluster pairs.
Warranted cluster support is provided for the combinations shown in Table 5-2.
Table 5-2 Warranted Cluster Support
Warranted in these combinationsOperating system
OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.3 and OpenVMS I64 Version 8.3-1H1 or 8.3
or
OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.3 and OpenVMS VAX Version 7.3
OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.3
OpenVMS I64 Version 8.3-1H1 or 8.3 and OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.3
or
OpenVMS I64 Version 8.3-1H1 and OpenVMS I64 Version 8.3
OpenVMS I64 Version 8.3-1H1
NOTE: Only two architectures are supported in the same OpenVMS Cluster: OpenVMS I64
and OpenVMS Alpha, or OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS VAX, but not OpenVMS I64 and
OpenVMS VAX.
System disks are architecture specific and can be shared only by systems of the same architecture.
An Alpha and I64 system, or an Alpha and VAX system, cannot boot from the same system disk.
However, cross-architecture satellite booting is supported between an Alpha and VAX system.
When you configure an OpenVMS Cluster to take advantage of cross-architecture booting, make
sure that at least one system from each architecture is configured with a disk that can be used
for installations and upgrades. For more information, see the Guidelines for OpenVMS Cluster
Configurations and HP OpenVMS Cluster Systems manuals.
Table 5-3 shows the supported migration pairings.
Table 5-3 Supported Migration Pairing
Supported with either of these migrating
to OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.3
Supported with either of these
migrating to OpenVMS I64 Version
8.3-1H1
Operating system
OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3-2
OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.2
OpenVMS I64 Version 8.3
OpenVMS I64 Version 8.2-1
OpenVMS I64 Version 8.3-1H1
For information about valid upgrade paths, see Section 4.3.1 (page 78).
For more information, see the OpenVMS Technical Software Support Service website at:
http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/support
In addition, see the following website for the OpenVMS Operating System Support Chart at:
http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/supportchart
88 Preparing to Upgrade in an OpenVMS Cluster Environment