Strengths/weaknesses of HP-UX, Solaris and AIX - please comment.

[Martin Johnson]

You didn't mention AIX's ability to stage patches/upgrades. This greatly reduces downtime.


Marty

[Victor_5]

It is a very good question, actually, I has been asked this question in one of my interviews one year ago, your list is pretty details, if I change your question to "what you like, what you don't like", maybe it is more easier to answer, here are some of my points for your info.

HP
* like
1. SD-UX for software and patch installation and management
2. Ignite-UX, you mentioned make_recovery, now you can use maek_tape_recovery on 11.x for vg00 backup

* donot like
1. sam sometimes the respond time is not very good

Solaris
* donot like
1. disk and file system management, sometimes it is easy to confuse, LVM is the best in my mind

AIX
*like
1. smit, a very powerful tool, especailly for new comer, I also can know what command line it is using when I go through those menus

*donot like
1. printer management, it is a little complex compare with others

[MANOJ SRIVASTAVA]

Hi Santanu

I have not worked on AIX at all , interms of comparisons let me put it this way :

BASIC UNIX should be nearly same on all the systems in terms of root /swap/data partions etc etc , Netwrok Memory , and commands too.
Look at this link :

http://www.unixguide.net/unixguide.pdf

The differentiating factors should be

1. Ease of Use . HPUX is definnately a user frindly system , though there are lots of stuff which has to be serached for and 99% we get the same on the site. Where as SUN is not that user freindly in terms of Volume Mgmt and tools like ( top and glance) which dont ever come with the OS.


2. There are lots of one time things like partioning etc which need the same am,ount of time in both the OS , but other than Vertas , Metavolumes theere are no other way you can modify the partitions online on SUN , however since I have personally worked lot on HP I find it more comfortable.


3.Even if like you dont have to change the kernel , but you will reboot a Sun Server for the changes to get effected.

4.HP is genrally supported by the HP , not by the channel partners , which has made the visiblity more for HP.

5. CDROM mounting pfs is dirty on HP on Sun is cleaner .


Etc Etc


I think you have got most of them already.


Manoj Srivastava

[Duncan Edmonstone · Accepted solution]

Looking for a really detailed analyst report on the different commerical UNIX versions?

Try this:

http://www.hp.com/products1/unix/operating/infolibrary/reports/2002Unix_report.pdf

HTH

Duncan

[John Payne_2]

How about this one:

HPUX: Supported on IA-64 chipset, has migration path in place.

Other 2: Do not care to head to IA-64, trying to Linux-ify their OS's in order to seem to be playing along.

HPUX: Will 'soon' have the best of TRU-64 added in order to enhanse the OS.

Solaris: Seems to be just doing what they want. OS seems to be Horizontal, not alot of change.

AIX: IBM has a long history of innovation. The OS is not exempt. You can bet they will continue to come out with stuff in the future.

HPUX: Always out with the vulnerability patches quickly.

HPUX: Best forums.

Hope it helps

John

[H.Merijn Brand (procura]

I have HP-UX 10.20, 11.00, AIX 4.2, 4.3, and I had DecOSF (digital unix), Solbourne, MCX, ICL, CLAN

You say AIX is different? Think again. Compared to DecOSF AIX is exactly the same as HP-UX :).

I like HP-UX for it's consistent interface and performance. Also peripherals are much easier to manage in HP-UX than in AIX (tapes, printers [ this realy stinks ], network)

The only thing for which I like AIX better than HP-UX is it's LVM, which outperforms HP (still). Build-in defragmentation and flexibility that cost you dearly with HP (OnlineJFS)

HP-UX holds also better under pressure. (one more user on a RS600/43P and people begin to scream)

HTH

[Santanu Bhadra]

All:
Thanks for your valued reply; Expecting more.

Manoj:
Here is another document of that type.
http://bhami.com/unix-rosetta.pdf

Regards,
Santanu

[Tim D Fulford]

From my experience with clustering (HP lots, Solaris no a great deal)

HP-UX - ServiceGuard, good cluster sw (if used properly)

SUN - Not so good

I admit it has been 2years since I used SUN clustering...

Tim

[Jon Mattatall]

From a less experienced perspective...

We have HP-UX, Solaris, and the odd SCO box.

The HP-UX boxes seem to excel at running databases. The LVM makes configuration much easier and I find they are very scalable, and support command line administration better.

If you just want to set it and forget it, the Solaris boxes seem the better option. Install, format, pkgadd, lock it down, and done. Great for webservers.

SAM / Admintool - call it a push. SAM has power, Admintool's a bit simpler.

HP Support is far superior (here, at least).

And I like the SUN hardware - well laid out.

Now if you could only unplug the keyboard without it going insane.....

Jon