John Lee wrote:

> What's difficult, though, is knowing what HPUX system is a
> good match for the MPE system you're replacing.

it all depends, of course, but my take this statement is -- it's rather like
comparing apples to chipmunks :-)

> Since noone wants to share info, and/or since so few have done it, it becomes
> a guessing game.

read a bit further....i have some additional comments to make....

> We have one statement from HP that seems to imply "start with an HPUX box
> that
> is upgradeable, and if it's not powerful enough in its original state, then
> start upgrading it until it is".

bunk!

> This approach will work I realize, but of course nobody wants to go through
> that process...nobody want to be the guinea pig.

i'll tell you this -- longs has been migrating to various flavors of unix
(although primarily hp-ux) for close to 10 years!  and we're still not
done....and we'll be migrating right up to the (official) wire.

we're in the process of replacing one (big) mpe production system with
i-don't-knnow-how-many unix servers.  imo -- a major reality you've got to face
is -- one app per box!  you might get lucky and get two or three smallish apps
on a single server but that's pretty much it.  we're also replacing one
(middle-sized) mpe development box with probably a dozen (might be more)
development servers.  it's gets real fun when at the beginning of some
meetings, we have to draw a grid on the white board showing what box is running
what version of the os and development s/w and db servers and on and on.  i
joke that the unix systems in the basement computer room reproduce like rabbits
because the lights are off most of the time (:-) but we literally filled that
room with unix boxes.  version management is a nightmare.  you want to upgrade
<blah>, well <bleh> isn't certified on that version of <blah>, yet the vendor
of <blah> isn't supporting the version you're running....and it's having
problems.  or in order to upgrade to this version of <blah> you have to do an
'flash' cutover because only one version of <blah> can be on a box at a time
<sigh>

to put some perspective into the picture.  we've been able to make significant
advances in the kinds of solutions we can provide (primarily) to our stores.
we run robots in the pharmacies now.  i don't know that we could have ever
gotten that to work with our (classic! :-) mpe systems.  there's a lot of
goodness that we (as a company) have gained by moving to unix.  it's come at
quite a cost but you can't stand still -- you'll not survive.         - d

--
Donna Garverick     Sr. System Programmer
925-210-6631        [log in to unmask]

Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.
"Ulysses", A. Tennyson

>>>MY opinions, not Longs Drug Stores'<<<

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