If the patch containing the DBUTIL ERASE bug is anywhere near as
serious as you speculate, involving the whole file system, the solution
is not to stop delivering hardware, but to stop delivering PowerPatch 5
and also reactive patch sets containing the patch with the bug.
Thousands of HP3000s are running on various levels of MPE/iX 5.0
and 5.5; there's no reason not to stick to delivering one of those levels
with new hardware until the problem is identified and fixed.
Cecile Chi