IA64/OpenVMS --- Multinet/TCPWare Support

[Arch_Muthiah]

All,

I would like to know any big issues reported (unresolved) with MultiNet and TcpWare on IA64/OpenVMS. Also IA64/OpenVMS DVD comes with TCIP now, and no MultiNet/TCPWare for IA64/VMS 8.3-1H1. Any reason?

Seeing many ECOs from both Process software and HP to make Process software products to work on IA64/VMS, and some SMH dependancy product support only with HP's TCPIP stack,
I am in a need of confidence before taking effort to make one of our IA64/VMS cluster based application to support TCPware and MultiNet.

Any advice (with real experience) on this would be highly appreciated.


Thanks
Archie

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] Any reason?

HP provides the DVD. HP develops TCPIP. HP
does not develop MultiNet or TCPWare.

> Seeing many ECOs [...]

TCPIP is not exactly bug-free, either.

[Hoff · Accepted solution]

I understand the direct question and there can unfortunately be no specific answer (all IP stacks and IP itself and in general can and do have bugs).

The "IA64/VMS cluster based application to support TCPware and MultiNet" is quite interesting; that's as much a business and product support costs question and not the usual and typical fodder here. This seems to be an interesting variation on the classic (and itself entirely unanswerable) "Any known bugs?" upgrade question.

Adding permutations to a support matrix -- even with a perfect product that's perfectly maintained -- will add some support costs.

The Process Software stacks do have a good set of features and Process has been quite speedy at getting fixes out when problems (Kaminsky's DNS bug, the defcon fingerd bug) have been identified.

What do your customers want, what can you afford, and what can you recoup by extending support?

[Richard Whalen]

Process Software strives to make MultiNet and TCPware compatible with TCP/IP Services. If your application runs on TCP/IP Services, then the most you should have to do is provide the service definitions in the appropriate manner.

While it may seem like there are a lot of MultiNet & TCPware patches, patches are generally created on a more frequent basis, so that may be part of the cause.

[Arch_Muthiah]

Thanks Hoff and Richard to understand my question though my question was not properily explained.

My primary concern is that I am in a need of confidence on Process software product before take the effort (extra time and software cost) to incorporate TCPware and MultiNet support with our application which supports only IA64/VMS nodes (not mixed node). No customer asking for process software support so far. As Stewen said, I understand no product is 100% bugfree, and we know process software now has many great VMS gurus to fix the customers issues promptly.

From Richard and Hoff's answer, seems it doesn't require much effort, and it comparatively works fine as our great HP TCPIP.
So let me decide the cost, time, effort involved irrespective how many of our customers installed process software product on their IA64/OpenVMS servers.

Thanks Hoff, Richie and Stewen.
Archie

[Arch_Muthiah]

Thanks for all your time to respond to my query.

Archie