Mark Sexton wrote:
>
>
> Correct me if I'm wrong Jon, but since the 5.5 release is a pull, won't
> it expire before 5.0? If Graeme is concerned about future disruption
> and doesn't need the new features of 5.5, wouldn't 5.0 be the safer
> path?  As a high availability shop, we like to stay on the "platform"
> releases.
>
> Mark Sexton
 
Excellent question.
 
Yes, "platform releases" have longer support life than regular ("pull")
releases.  Yes, 5.0 is a "platform", and 5.5 is a "pull".  Here are our
support guidelines:
 
   A Platform Release is supported for 2 years or 12 months
   after the next Platform Release, whichever is longer.
 
   A regular release is supported for 1 year or 6 months after
   the next release ("pull" or "platform"), whichever is longer.
 
   We try to release a "platform" release every 18-30 months.
 
For your information, 5.0 Push started shipping February 17, 1995;
5.5 started shipping August 23, 1996.  5.0 is 18 months older than
5.5 -- so at this point, both will have about the same remaining
support life.
 
As I stated in my earlier reply, we don't want to put customers in
the situation where they would lose functionality if they choose to
upgrade from 5.0 to 5.5 -- therefore, when we introduce any new
functionality, it will first appear on a 5.5-based Express or
Powerpatch before it will appear on a 5.0-based Express/PP.  (We
continue to produce bug-fix patches wherever they are needed.)  At
this point, there is no guarantee that new functionality will ever
make it all the way back to 5.0.
 
These are our guidelines, but the bottom line is that business needs
will drive all decisions on support life, introduction of new
functionality, etc.  For example, based on customer feedback, we
have extended the previous platform release's support life.  4.0
should have become off support life last February, but we have
extended it until next February.
 
In summary, we will ensure that 5.0 is stable by quickly providing
bug fixes to it as needed.  We will also provide bug fixes and new
functionality to 5.5.  If business needs so justify, new functionality
may find its way back to 5.0, but only after it first appears on 5.5.
 
--
Jon Cohen
[log in to unmask]
Hewlett Packard -- Commercial Systems Division
 
(The opinions expressed here gotta be mine, 'cause no
one else will own up to 'em.)