Java On HP-UX 7.x

[jcarr5150]

No joke guys. I'm telling the truth. I'll get the hardware specs and pass them on. These guys are a small retailer in the New England area.

Based on my short time here, like a few days, they only upgrade when they need to. I'm just as supprised as you...and I'm here!

[Robert-Jan Goossens]

Hi,
--
they only upgrade when they need to
--
Well this is a perfect moment to tell them they need an upgrade. The earliest hpux java version available for hpux was 1.1.8 on 10.20.

Kind regards,
Robert-Jan

[Robert-Jan Goossens]

forgot the link to the HPUX Java Archived Releases Release Notes.

http://docs.hp.com/en/JAVAARCHRN/index.html

[Olivier Masse]

I once saw 7.X running on a production workstation and that was in Jan 2000. Nobody even knew it was there, since it was same as you, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But it broke all right, it wasn't fixable and this cost a lot in lost production.

Advise your retailer to upgrade and ditch whatever custom application they have and get a new one. Chances are good you don't even need to run HP-UX anymore.

Good luck

[Bill Hassell]

This comes up in small shops where a very old machine (in this case, probably 20+ years) works just fine for the application from 20 years ago. Unlike some machines that easily run for 50 years, software is, well, soft. That means that people incorrectly assume that an old computer will run new software. This needs to be explained to the CEO that just because you have a typewriter, it will not work as a cellphone. Tell the CEO to lock the computer (as it already has) into the 1980 software and buy a new one for a new application.

If the CEO has tried to use an old scanner on Vista, your job will be much simpler. Ask the CEO if someone tried installing MS Office on and WIndows 3.1 machine. Java will CRIPPLE your machine even it could run on 7.x. You will not have anything close to the minimum memory (2000 megs or so) and the CPU is probably 20-50 Mhz rather than 750-1000 Mhz. SO between swap and CPU speed, it could take an hour before the application starts. Today's computers are 1/2 the original price of the old machine with 20-50 times better performance.

[Dennis Handly]

>Bill: lock the computer into the 1980 software and buy a new one for a new application.

And this would be easy if the new application doesn't have to talk to the old one.

[dirk dierickx]

wtf, what do they use this box for anyway? nothing much can be running on it. they could migrate to linux which would be unlimited times better then hpux 7 (can't even begin to imagine how sad this OS must be) and be unlimited times faster and would allow them to do fancy 'new' stuff like java.

[OldSchool]

your employer is, as noted previously, running on borrowed time. You need to find out what, if any, off-the-shelf software is installed and running on that box, as that may be it's sole reason to exist.

Having determined what's running, see if new versions are available, and if so, for what OSes/Versions. My biggest concern would be that you have some COTS that is no longer available, but your employer "likes" it, hence you run 20yr old hardware.

If it is running COTS and they vendor / product is now defunct, then you will be faced with purchasing new hardware and migrating to new/different application.

Also, take note of any specialized hardware in use. As old as it is, I wouldn't be surprised to see a bunch of real honest-to-goodness glass terminals connected to something like a DTC. If so, I don't know if the DTC management stuff is even supported anymore.

In any case, a failure of the existing hardware could force a migration, and the migration process is probably going to be non-trivial (ie weeks to months). Doing it after the hardware folds could kill the business, depending upon how critical the apps it runs are. Besides, the smallest current avaiable box should absolutely run rings around whatever hardware is currently running....

[Laurent Menase]

an other reason,
hpux 7.0 doesn't know anything about threads....

the other possibility if they want to keep their old system, keep old systems with old application, buy a new system for new applications.

[Wim Rombauts]

I'm affraid there may be a bit of a problem ...

If this machine is running in-house developed software, it is probably written in a technology that no longer exists, that noone knows anymore and that noone can read, and the people who once created it have long ago left the company.
"Upgrading" here means : Start writing again from scratch to mimic old behaviour. This will take a lot of time and effort.

If this machine is running 3rd party software, then your current version will be so old, that probably no migration path to a currently available versions exists.

I hope you are lucky enough to have an old software that still has an easy migration path.

And ... the question that burns on everyones lips : What the hell is running on that machine ?