RE: You'll never guess what HP advertised

From: Main, Kerry (kerry.main_at_hp.com)
Date: 05/13/04 

Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 07:48:17 -0400

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Karsten Nyblad [mailto:nospam@nospam.com]
> Sent: May 13, 2004 12:27 AM
> To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com
> Subject: Re: You'll never guess what HP advertised
>
>
> "Main, Kerry" <kerry.main@hp.com> wrote in message
> news:FD827B33AB0D9C4E92EACEEFEE2BA2FB3145A9@tayexc19.americas.
> cpqcorp.net...
> >> True. But most bugs can be fixed without understanding more
> >> than a few
> >> hundred lines of code.
>
> >Please, this is getting silly - you do not fix OS kernel, security,
> >cluster and driver problems by only understanding a few
> hundred lines of
> >code. Especially ones which deal with loading, cluster
> interaction, race
> >problems caused by faster servers, intermittent crashes (hw?/os?/isv?
> >software issues?) etc ...
>
> OK, you get a longer answer. I would avoid using an
> unsupported operating
> system when ever I can. Unfortunately there is always a risk
> ending up
> running an important application on unsupported hardware and software.
>
> Even if you buy operating systems large market share from big software
> vendors, there is a chance that the operating system becomes
> EOLed some time
> in the future. Just look at VMS. It was a very successful
> operating system
> for many years. HP might stop supporting it some times in
> the future. Let
> us assume that happens. There will be organizations that
> will want to use
> VMS after HP has stopped support. What do you think these
> organization
> would like if given these two options: 1) HP opens the
> sources of VMS and
> makes it freely available. 2) HP shreds the sources of VMS.
>

Most Customers I deal with would move to another OS platform before they
would decide to do OS kernel/clustering/driver support on their own.
Especially since even if Sun/HP/IBM did decide to drop one of their OS
platforms, they would typically give something like at least a 5-10 year
window.

And that applies to any OS platform from one of the major players.

The open source movement has some good idea's, but the "we want to
maintain our own code in case the vendor goes out of business.." is sort
of ok(?) for applications, but is political mumbo jumbo when discussing
OS support.

The number of open source folks in the wild (i.e. not working for a
commercial vendor) that have the expertise to maintain kernel code,
cluster and drivers is extremely, extremely small.

> Try thinking about the bugs fixes you have made during your
> career. Do you
> agree with me in that the main part of those have been fixed
> just a few
> lines?
>
> Karsten Nyblad
> ibpit1202 at sneakemail dot com
>

I am sure VMS Engineering would state some percentage (likely small) of
bugs are easily fixed when they are pointed out. However, I am sure that
they would also state the bugs that are the big time killers and show
stoppers are the ones that are typically very complex and that require
an understanding of the entire system and/or architecture.

And that applies to any OS platform.

Regards

Kerry Main
Senior Consultant
HP Services Canada
Voice: 613-592-4660
Fax: 613-591-4477
Email: kerryDOTmainAThpDOTcom
(remove the DOT's and AT for email address)

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