HP-UX 11.31 patches

[Rod White]

Historically PHSS, PHCO, PHKL patches were freely available from the software Depot. I guess it was the case that if you needed these patches, you had a machine which sometime in the past HP had produced and sold and profited from.

For us runing older hardware (Itaniuam rx) using HP-UX v11, where are these available now ?

Over the past 25 years I have been able to go from 710 to 712, B, C, J, rp and now rx without needing case managed support, just the forums and access to the patches.

I was a partner in the past, still are in some way or another, and I was sent the OS media. I can install the OS using that media but cannot patch it unless I downloaded the patches prior to the iron curtain coming down.

Why do I feel so abandoned by HPE ?

I guess the solution would be to say goodbye to SAM and HPUX and go linux (I remember my Xenix and SCO Unix PC's) and say goodbye to HP.

Initially I wrote my software on HP-UX and ported it using my Solaris and RS6000 boxes but decided to concentrate on HP-UX. I have two continous 25+ year customers running HP C3700's as under desk unix database servers, both in government IBM dominated environments., both of which started with 712's and Motif apps.

[Patrick Wallek]

You are correct, patches used to be freely availabile.  However, they started requiring a support contract about 10 years ago..  I don't know if it's any different for partners or not.

You can get a very minimal SW support contract (next day response) that will allow you to get patches, but that does still come with a cost.

[Duncan Edmonstone]

**note HPE employee, but these are my opinions. not a statement from HPE - I'm far too abrupt for coporate communication!**

Patrick is right, it's been a long time since HPE offered "free" access to patches for HP-UX. As to why this is, well put simply there were just too many 3rd parties undercutting HPE support by offering support for HP servers, and being able to include patches and software updates without actually having to do any of the effort of developing and testing of those patches. HPE determined that it cost time to develop those patches, so they needed to monetise that.

So you need a support contract to get at patches now, and have for a good while. You can argue about whether HPE is abandoning you all day, but it is what it is. I don't know if it's still the case, but the ISV programs used to include access to patches, but legally that would just be for your development systems, *not* for you to pass on to your customers. If your customers want HPE patches in a legal fashion (and if they are in government I'd imagine doing things legally might matter to them!), then they need a support contract. 

As to whether to stay on HP-UX, well you have a limited time anyway. HPE stopped selling Integrity servers at the end of 2020, and full lab support for HP-UX ends at the end of 2025, so now is as good a time as any to start planning a transition to Linux.

[KishJ]

Greetings,

Yes, access to HPE Patch Management via HPE Support Center is indeed restricted to those with valid contract. While Channel Partner's do have some privileges, I am not sure if it includes access to Patch Management (quite unlikely). You may want to check this at support.hpe.com.