HPlogo Communicator e3000 MPE/iX Release 7.5 (Software Release C75.00): HP e3000 MPE/iX Computer Systems > Chapter 2 Announcements

MPE/iX Release 7.5 Features

MPE documents

Complete PDF
Table of Contents
Index

MPE/iX Release 7.5 is designed to further enhance our HP e3000 product offering that capitalizes on the PCI architecture of the A- and N-Class systems running MPE/iX. These enhancements provide additional functionality, increased performance and connectivity advancements

MPE/iX Release 7.5 enables the new A- and N-Class systems to higher speed and performance as provided by the new PA-8700 processors. Further, this release provides new functionality to these systems, such as Native Fibre Channel Support, new storage devices, increases in user logging limits, ability to access LDEV 1 disk space beyond 4 GB, and many other system enhancements designed to help MPE/iX and HP e3000 customers.

MPE/iX Release 7.5 features include the following:

Hardware Platform Enhancements


PA-8700 N-Class

For our mid-range and high-end customers, MPE/iX Release 7.5 supports up to a 4-way PA-8700-based N-Class system. The PA- 8700-based N-Class has the same configuration limits, supported peripherals and supported interface cards as on 7.0 Express 1. In addition, MPE/iX 7.5 provides many Fibre Channel features.

PA-8700 A-Class

For our low-end customers, MPE/iX Release 7.5 supports the PA-8700-based A-Class systems. The PA-8700-based A-Class has the same configuration limits, supported peripherals and supported interface cards as on 7.0 Express 1. In addition, MPE/iX 7.5 provides many Fibre Channel features.

External Storage and I/O Connectivity Enhancements


Native Fibre Channel Support

With MPE/iX Release 7.5, support has been introduced for the PCI 2GBs Fibre Channel Device Adapter card (A6795A) on A- and N-Class HP e3000 systems. This adapter card provides the ability to connect a fibre channel device directly to the HP e3000 system using fibre channel cables. The 2 GB/s FC card is supported with the VA7100 and XP512 Fibre Channel disk arrays on MPE/iX 7.5. Prior to MPE/iX 7.5, HP e3000 systems supported connectivity to Fibre Channel devices through the HP SCSI-Fibre Channel Router, which was connected to a PCI-SCSI adapter card. The router will continue to be available for those customers who choose to remain on MPE/iX 7.0.

HP Surestore Tape Array 5300

The HP Surestore Tape Array 5300 is a 3U rack enclosure that will hold a variety of full-height and half-height tape drives (DDS3, DDS4 and DLT8000), providing a truly flexible storage solution for use in a variety of different data storage situations. This device is also supported on MPE/iX 7.0 Express 1.

HP Surestore Disk System 2300 (DS2300)

The HP DS2300 is a 3U, 14-LP-disk, Ultra160 enclosure. Redundant hot-swappable components ensure system uptime. Mixed disk environment support, flexible deployment options, and upgradability to Ultra320 protect your investment. This device is also supported on MPE/iX 7.0 Express 1.

Internet and Interoperability


WebWise v.2 part of FOS

The current Apache web server in FOS has been replaced by the HP WebWise MPE/iX Secure Web Server which is built from recent versions of Apache, mod_ssl, and OpenSSL. In addition to the security related features of X.509 authentication and SSL transport encryption, there are new Apache features and bug fixes that have come out since 1.3.14.

SIB Item #4- Sendmail in FOS

The Sendmail MTA (Mail Transport Agent) is now included in FOS to facilitate the sending and receiving of e-mail. The functionality supported is comparable to the Sendmail functionality of HP-UX.

ODBC and JDBC Continue to be the Prime Database Connectivity

Updated ODBC access is provided via MB Foster Associates, ODBC/Link SE and is bundled at no additional cost with IMAGE/SQL and ALLBASE/SQL.

High End Functionality


Large File Dataset

Each dataset in a TurboIMAGE database is an MPE file. The maximum size of a dataset file was 4 GB. For dataset size greater than 4GB, TurboIMAGE used a set of files residing in HFS domain to store the data, called a JUMBO dataset. With the Large File Dataset enhancement, TurboIMAGE allows users to use MPE large file instead of JUMBO files as dataset files.

User Logging Limit Increase

With this solution, a single user level process can access 2851 user logging concurrently. This is improved from the current user-logging limit of 1140.

IMAGE/SQL Performance

IMAGE product performance increases by adding two new options to the Attach command: NOAUTO and NOAUTOSPLIT.

HP Predictive Support Software

Predictive provides proactive hardware support and helps increase the uptime of your systems by monitoring system memory and disk/tape drives. When Predictive detects a potential problem, it sends a message to the HP Response Center. The Response Center portion of the system screens the data and forwards problems requiring further analysis to a Response Center Engineer. If action is needed at your site, the Response Center Engineer and a Customer Engineer work with you to resolve the problem. This proactive hardware support is provided as part of your HP Hardware and Software Support Services Agreement.

Performance and Capacity Improvements


LDEV 1 Now Supports more than 4GB Disk Space

Prior to Release 7.5, MPE/iX supported and used only 4GB of disk space of LDEV 1 disk, even though the physical disk itself had more than 4GB disk space (such as 18GB, 36GB, 73GB) With the enhancement, the limitation on LDEV 1 using only 4GB is now removed so that LDEV 1 can use up to the maximum capacity of the physical disk.

New CI Command :Shutdown, Restart

This enhancement provides a shutdown mechanism with a reboot option in the command level similar to the HP-UX operating system. This enhancement provides a :SHUTDOWN command on the CI prompt, with a RESTART option, which shuts down the system completely and, optionally, reboots automatically.

UPS Monitor Enhancement

This enhancement allows user-controlled system shutdown when the UPS reports that incoming AC power has failed. The MPE/iX UPS Monitor software is now a part of FOS and has been enhanced to permit a System Manager to instruct the UPS device.




Chapter 2 Announcements


HP Announces Transition Plan for HP e3000 Server Series